Aura Renegade
by Yue Twili
Summary: This story is dead. Will undergo revision, however. I'm sorry.
1. Prologue

…**For some reason, I wanted to do some Pokémon crossovers. This time, it's a Jak and Daxter one.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><em>After journeying in Sinnoh, Ash and his best friend Pikachu just wanted to rest and relax at their home region…<em>

…_Unfortunately, it seems Fate won't allow that for they was sent to another world. One that's completely different, and far more dangerous than the one they lived in. Without their friends or other Pokémon, to aid them, Ash and Pikachu must now fight for not only their lives… but also their freedom and for the freedom of everyone else._

_Though, luckily, they had some new friends to do just that…_

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Strange Start For a New Journey<strong>

It was a bright and sunny day at the small town in the Kanto region called Pallet Town. This town is the home of many young people who, when they turn 10, start their Pokémon adventure from the region's Pokémon Professor, Samuel Oak, who also happened to live there.

However, this story is about a young man from this world going on a journey he has never endured before; in fact, this very journey could change his life forever.

How did this all started? Well, like earlier, it was a bright and sunny day when it happened…

* * *

><p>At the time, everything was completely peaceful. The bird Pokémon were flying, sometimes landing on some trees or rocks, and talk in their native tongue. The land Pokémon are grazing, eating fruit from the trees or just resting against the sun. The water Pokémon are swimming within the crisp water of the streams or oceans. And the Pokémon that lived in the cities or towns are living their lives their own way.<p>

In one particular town, in a region named Kanto, one young man is lying back on the grass, relaxing as he snoozes in the shade of the tree.

This young man appeared to be around 16, with spiky raven hair (with a tint of green in it if the sun hits it just right), wearing a white t-shirt as a black vest with a white shot-out collar and a yellow line curved a bit downward across the chest area is hanging on a tree branch. A pair of fingerless dark green gloves with light green wristbands is lying by him, wearing a pair of cyan blue pants and a pair of black sneakers with a red arc at the toes and white at the soles. A red baseball cap with a thick black line going through the middle, and a light blue circle with an arc of the same color over the said circle is above the visor of the cap; is placed over his eyes to keep sunlight out.

As the boy snoozed on, something walked over to him, before stopping at his side. It was a yellow furred animal around 2 feet tall, with red circles on its cheeks (face), pointed cone shaped ears with black at the tips, a somewhat chubby body with stubby-like arms with five small fingers, a pair of feet with three toes, two brown strips on its back, and a lightning bolt shaped tail with a bit of brown at the base. This creature peered down at the human with its brown eyes, blinking a bit.

"Pika-pi?" It let out at the boy, who continued to snooze on. "Pika-pi!"

**(Activating PokéTranslator) **

"(C'mon Ash! It's time to get up!)" The mouse-like creature shook the boy, trying to wake him. And yet, it still wasn't effective. The mouse started to look irritated. Then smirked, having a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Well, he tried doing it the easy way. Now he'll do it Pikachu's way.

With electricity sparking from his cheeks, he literally let loose a bolt of electricity from his small body, shocking the boy awake, the said boy screaming as he left nearly 10,000 volts enter his body. After a few seconds, the mouse stopped his assault, the boy landing in a heap on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Hey Pikachu, what's the big idea?" The boy demanded, glaring at the mouse with his brown orbs, and a pair of lightning bolt shaped marks under said eyes.

"(Well, I tried to get you up the easy way, but you wouldn't!)" Although most people don't understand what Pokémon are saying, some can tell what they were saying by looking at their hand and body gestures. And from what Ash could gather, Pikachu tried waking the boy gently.

"Okay…" The boy said, uncertain, as he rubbed the back of his head, "Why are you trying to wake me up?"

"(Well, Prof. Oak was wondering where you went because he found something interesting,)" Pikachu explained, using body gestures as well, "(He asked me to find you so you that you could check it out.)"

"Oh, really?" The raven haired boy grinned, excited. "I wonder what he found." He quickly snatched the vest, then his gloves and finally placed his hat onto his head after he put his vest and gloves on. "Let's go and check it out!"

With that, after Pikachu had gotten onto his shoulder, he raced towards the place where Prof. Oak, the very man who gave him Pikachu, lived.

But little do they realize, a new journey is about to rear its head on them…

…Along with something small and pink spotting them over the canopy and started to follow them.

* * *

><p>It was a bit later when the two reached the man's lab. The raven haired boy knocked on the front door a couple of times, and waited for a bit. When nothing happened after a few moments, he knocked on it again, this time, speaking up. "Hey! Prof. Oak, are you in there? It's me, Ash! I've gotten your message from Pikachu!"<p>

Afterwards, the two of them heard some noise coming from behind the door for a few moments before it opened up. The person who opened it is a man whose hair is the color of sand, almost at the verge of turning white, wearing a red polo shirt and a pair of khakis under a white lab-coat, and a pair of brown dress shoes. The man, apparently Prof. Oak, looked at them with his dark brown eyes. "Oh, Ash! Right on time! Me and Tracey are about to examine this particular item we've found."

"What exactly is it professor?" Ash asked, blinking a bit.

"We're not exactly sure," the professor admitted, letting the boy in, "That's why we're about to study this thing."

The before the professor closed the door, something slipped through the door and quickly hid themselves.

As they walked towards the lab, the Pokémon trainer looked at the professor again. "So where exactly did you find it?"

"Well, surprisingly, your Gible dug it up this morning in our backyard," the professor explained, the flashback waves appearing.

_-Flashback!-_

"_**Tracey and I are setting out breakfast for the Pokémon when it happened…" **__The professor explained as in the flashback, the professor and a young man named Tracey are, indeed, setting out food for the Pokémon._

_It took a while, but they managed to fill up the bowls, and a snack with a special ingredient to feed Ash's Snorlax without all of the food being depleted. As they took the cart that has the food to outside, they soon heard some kind of… commotion out there. "Good lord, what's going on out there?" The professor exclaimed in shock. Leaving the cart alone, the two rushed outside to see what the ruckus was about._

_When they did, they saw most of Ash's Pokémon and some of the other trainer's Pokémon crowding around something. The two humans quickly ran over…_

_And watched in shock as Gible, Ash's Gible, was hurryingly digging into the ground, looking for… something. "Gible! What in Groudon's name are you doing?" Prof. Oak exclaimed, his and Tracey's eyes wide in shock. "You can't just dig into my yard-" The professor was cut off when Gible suddenly stopped digging, all of the beings living stared down at the bottom of the hole in surprise. _

_It looked like some sort… orange metal object sticking out of the dirt. Immediately intrigued, the professor jogged over to Gible's side, pulled back his sleeves, and dug into the dirt, trying to find something __around__ it to try to pull it out. "Help me Tracey!" _

"_Right professor," the young man nodded before he got to work as well. The two of them dig, and dig, until they finally pulled out the object. But when they did, they couldn't make it out. "What in the world is it professor?" _

_The older man looked over the object he held in his hands. It looked egg-shaped, and about the size of a Pokémon egg; yet, what really threw him off is the strange markings on the object. They didn't look to be in the same writing as theirs, and defiantly __**not**__ in the Unknown writing. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure," Prof. Oak admitted. Nodding, he looked at his assistant. "Let's see if we can find out more about this object!"_

"_Right," Tracey nodded._

_-End flashback!-_

"…And so, after we handed out food for the Pokémon, I asked Pikachu to come and get you as we set things up," the professor finished explaining as they finally got into the lab that was within his basement.

"So… even you don't know what it is?" Ash queried, immensely surprised that there's something that the professor didn't know about. Seriously, there's **something** the professor **doesn't** _know_ about? That's a shocker!

"Of course," the professor said, going over to the orange egg-like object as it was set in the scanner. "However, we're trying to decipher what the words written on it mean." He turned his head to look over at the person behind the computer. "Tracey, have you found anything unusual?"

The young man named Tracey has short forest green hair that stops below the ears with an orange headband around his forehead and a pair of brown eyes as they looked over the computer screen. His attire consists of a green t-shirt with a dark green around the color, a pair of orange shorts and a pair of blue and light blue sneakers. The green haired male shook his head. "Nothing so far professor," he reported. "It seems that this object isn't of Pokémon origin."

The other three in the room did a take in surprise. "Really?" Ash was the first to speak up. "If it's not related to anything Pokémon, or from the distant past, then…" The trainer and his Pokémon looked over the object. "Where did it come from…?"

The Pokémon Professor rubbed his chin. "Hm… This is certainly a head scratcher…" He went deeply into his thoughts, trying to figure out the piece of this strange puzzle…

"Perhaps the other professors of the other regions might know what this object is," the professor decided, "They might be able to know something…"

"Good idea professor!" Tracey nodded. "It could be possible that the other professors might know." The Pokémon Watcher typed in a few things on the computer. "In the meantime, I'll keep this computer running so that, if it picks something up, it'll record it."

"Very well," Prof. Oak nodded. He looked at the raven haired boy. "Ash, do you think you and Pikachu can keep a look out for anything surprising?"

Ash and Pikachu mock saluted. "No need to worry professor! We won't let anything happen!"

The elder man chuckled. "It's when you say that Ash is where I worry the most." The two of them left the trainer and his Pokémon alone. "We'll be right back."

Soon, the two are alone. "Well, what should we do now Pikachu?"

"(I dunno…)" the Mouse Pokémon shrugged.

The raven haired boy sighed, before he looked over at the orange object. He walked over to it to look over it. Indeed, like what the professor said, there are a bunch of strange markings written on it. Markings even he didn't know about. And he's been practically everywhere!

"Hm… where did you come from?" Ash asked it, as if it could provide some answers.

Pikachu merely tilted his head at the object, just as puzzled. While it is true that it does look odd, the electric Pokémon couldn't help but feel that something felt… strange about it. He wasn't sure what though.

Ash's hand then twitched a little before it started to rise…

_**BZZT!**_

_**WARNING! WARNING!**_

_**WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE IS PART OF THE UNIVERSAL LAW!**_

_**IF A PERSON WHO SPOTTED SOMETHING INTERESTING, THEY HAVE THE URGE TO TOUCH IT! AND WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS, THINGS HAPPEN; MAY THEY BE GOOD OR BAD!**_

_**AND RIGHT HERE, IN THIS SCENE, THAT VERY LAW IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!**_

_**Thank you for your time, continue the rest of the fan-fiction…**_

_Upstairs…_

"Are you absolutely certain you have no idea what this is?" Prof. Oak asked the various Pokémon Professors on the screen.

Before the professor went to the video phone, he downloaded the strange language onto his flash-drive so that the others could see it.

And, apparently, they don't know what to make of it either.

"I'm sorry Samuel," the stern face, white haired and mustached older male apologized, "I don't think there's any data regarding to this thing you have found in Sinnoh."

"Nor in the Orange Islands," a neutral faced, violet haired woman added.

A young man with a small turf on the front of his brown hair and wearing glasses, rubbed his chin. "Don't you think that it's rather strange that this object is found in your yard?"

Everyone gave the man a look. "What do you mean Prof. Elm?" A young woman with a bee-hive styled hair and green eyes queried.

"If this thing hadn't been found in the other regions, yet why did it appear at Prof. Oak's backyard today?"

"You know, he has a point," a middle aged man with a beard and sideburn combo agreed.

The professor from Kanto rubbed his chin. This is all so strange… He thought. If what they say is true, then why **did** that object appear in the backyard? Is it some sort of strange coincidence? Or maybe-

Suddenly the whole lab shook, a power surge occurring that made the screen flicker.

"Prof. Oak/Samuel, what's going on/What happened/What the heck/ What's happening?" The other professors spoke out in surprise, all at the same time.

"Professor, something is going on at the basement lab!" Tracey exclaimed, seeing some strange lights coming from the said room.

"What? What did Ash do this time?" Prof. Oak exclaimed, standing up so fast that his chair fell over. "I'll be right back!" He told the other professors before he and Tracey raced downstairs to see what's going on.

The same being from before peeked out from its hiding spot before quickly following them.

_Earlier…_

Ash slowly lifted his hand up to the glass containing the object. Suddenly, the door on the glass opened up, making the two jump in surprise. "How'd that happen?"

"(I don't know!)" Pikachu responded, staring at the object. "(But I'm having a weird feeling about that thing!)"

To Pikachu's dismay, Ash didn't seem to catch that as his eyes was fixated on the object. Something was telling him to touch it; yet, even he was cautious about this thing. However, Ash's hands rose up and reached out towards the egg object, the Mouse Pokémon making a shocked squeak at this. "(Ash no-)"

Ash's hands made contact with it and he plucked it out of the machine. Once he did, he felt some strange energy coming from this thing. "Huh… that's strange, I felt some energy coming from this thing…" He let out, mesmerized. He shrugged and made to put it back-

Until it suddenly popped open, revealing a golden orb and a series of rings and spheres that encircled it in midair suspension. "Woah!" The boy cried out, accidentally dropping the thing-

But before it hit the ground, the thing started to float up in the air at his eye level. "Check it out Pikachu…" He breathed out in awe.

But the fun was about to end. Almost immediately, the power within the lab started to surge as some… energy started to flow to the object. The computer that was meant to monitor the object started to flash and flicker, the screen going static as off and on, strange lettering started to appear on it before it started to put in readable lettering under the language.

The orange object then floated around the boy and Pokémon until it was no longer in front of the machine. As soon as it did, it let loose a beam of violet energy to the ceiling, making contact with it before it expanded into a portal of sorts. "What's that?" Ash cried out in shock, everything around him having a violet lighting, bits of electricity coming out of the portal.

At that moment, Prof. Oak and Tracey barged into the room. "ASH, WHAT DID YOU DO?" The professor exclaimed before he registered the sight before him.

"I-I don't know!" The Pokémon Trainer honestly answered before the paper and other light weight objects started to fly around. The two that were outside the room immediately tried to cover themselves.

Ash and Pikachu, who were under the portal, suddenly felt themselves being drawn to it. Literally, they stared to float up.

"OH CRAP!" Ash exclaimed, before he grabbed onto the nearest planted object, holding onto Pikachu as well. The boy held on for as long as he could, feeling the portal started to increase its velocity, as if it was trying to-

"WOAH!" The boy exclaimed, his legs suddenly coming loose and left to dangle in the air as the velocity had suddenly gotten stronger. In the process, his hat came off and flew into the portal.

Everyone didn't notice, but the same thing that followed Ash and Pikachu to the lab and followed Prof. Oak and Tracey down into the basement lab had somehow managed to weave its way throw the torrent of flying objects, and went into the portal.

The raven haired boy was slowly losing his grip on the machine. The professor and his assistant were helpless where they are, the items from the lab were preventing them from going in there to help the boy.

Just when it couldn't get worse, Ash lost his grip on his best friend, the latter crying out in panic as he flew towards the portal. "NO! PIKACHU!" As soon as the boy cried that out, he suddenly lost his grip onto the machine, and was sent flying towards the portal with a scream of his own.

"ASH!" The other two exclaimed as the orange object followed the black haired boy into the portal, the latter closing behind the former. As soon as it did, all of the stuff that were flying around fell to the ground, the lighting returning to normal.

Yet Prof. Samuel Oak and Tracey Kenji could only stare at the scene, filled with shock which slowly turned to horror. "Oh dear…" The professor let out.

"What in Arceus's name just happened?" Tracey asked the question no one could answer, taking two steps into the lab.

On the screen of the computer that was monitoring the strange orange object, it flicked for a bit before it went still, the mysterious lettering and the normal lettering shown.

And it was translated:

"_**Now the one who channels Aura is sent, to where the other channeler, the channeler of Eco, is at, who is in need of dire help. Only two channelers can help each other…**_

_**For what happens to the Eco channeler has to be stabilized before he could properly control the power forced into him…**_

_**Much like the others did before them…"**_

* * *

><p>With the Pokémon Trainer and his Pokémon, the two of them are screaming as they flew through a violet colored tunnel, a barrier of sorts around them, concocted by the orange object, for bolts of purple lightning struck the barrier a few times. On Ash's next breath, he exclaimed a question he or Pikachu won't be able to answer at the time:<p>

"What's going on?"

"(I DON'T KNOW!)" Was the mouse's answer before bright light at the end of the portal overtook them.

And once they exit out of there, the lives of these two, and many others who they will meet, will be changed. For better or for worse…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>…<strong>And there's the prologue. Please review if you liked it so far.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** After going through the portal, Ash and Pikachu found themselves at a new world… and pretty much gotten themselves in trouble first thing. With help from a local, they managed to escape and were introduced to a group who are rebelling against the tyrannical overlord, Baron Praxis. Can they pass the test laid out before them? Or will they fail? ****Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter to:**_** Aura Renegade!**_

**Until then, hang tight!**


	2. Chapter 1

**The next chapter is here!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except my OCs.**

_**(To avoid confusion, this took place after the Sinnoh Saga but **__**before**__** the Unova Saga and a month and a half BEFORE the Jak II game-play starts. So beware of spoilers!)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: First Step in the Not So Haven City<strong>

'…_It's been nearly two years since that boy appeared in this place.' _A large built man, somewhere in his fifties, with a brown beard that has traces of white in it. He wears a blue uniform-like outfit with red clothes under his armored shoulder pads, around under the brown belt around his waist, and a red cape, said uniform has a blue-gray high collar on it. The uniform has tan colored cuffs, his right forearm having a metal plate on it, tan colored hems on the part of the uniform that makes it royalty-like. He wears a pair of white pants, blue boots with metal plates on the front, with the toes having a couple of spikes on them. What makes him rather unique are the long, pointed elf-like ears, and the upper right and nose of his face is encased in metal, though his left eye, is in the color of olive green.

Ever since he saw that strange… energy blasting to the Industrial Zone from the sky, he had a feeling that whoever landed there must be capable enough to handle Dark Eco. Capable enough to become a secret weapon to fight off those… **vile **creatures.

Yet, how long could it take for him to get ready…? That boy was incredibly resilient to the Dark Eco injections…

"Baron Praxis?" At the sound of his name, Praxis turned to the source to see a man in his early-to mid 20s walking towards him. The man is wearing some sort of a racer jumpsuit colored navy blue with yellow at the sides, brown on some ports of his outfit, knee cap armor held by brown leather straps, two stickers (an oval shaped blue one on his right, and a rectangle lime green one on his left) are on his arms, wearing a pair of brown boots with metal straps, and a metal spike on the metal part of his toe. Over his chest is some sort red and white armor, some blue-gray painting over his amber eyes and has some sort of metal mask with red 'eyes' over a bit of his spiky, fiery red hair. Like the baron, this man has long ears. Around his left thigh is a hostler for a pistol.

"Ah, Errol," the man acknowledged, turning to face the younger man. "Any news at the city?"

"Nothing so far," Errol shook his head, "The Underground are getting harder to track whenever we came close, and I don't think we'll be able to hold out against the Metal Heads for much longer…" He looked over the city below them through the window. "I just hope the Dark Warrior Program succeed…"

The baron merely grunted, looking out towards the city as well. As if he has enough problems already; ever since he had taken the throne, it was hard enough to drive off those creatures. He figured that giving them some Eco could level the odds, but he can't keep doing it forever. There has to be a way to get rid of them for good…

But his commander did make a point. What if the Dark Warrior Program **did** fail? What then?

"…Then we'll have to find a back-up plan in case it happens." He looked back at Errol, saying, "In the meantime, check to make sure we have enough Dark Eco for the program."

"Very well," the younger man nodded, and started to walk away-

When a familiar sight caught their eye. "What the…" Errol trailed off as they both looked towards the sky.

As they did, a blast of energy erupted in the sky, as if an explosion occurred, and from some sort of purple cloud-like energy, what looked like a comet of sort blasted from the sky and shot towards the city. Around the Bazaar area.

The two of them stood in silence. Then the Baron turned to his commander. "Gather the other guards and apprehend whoever landed there! And bring them back alive!"

As the Baron stopped away, Errol made a sadistic smirk. "With pleasure…" he said softly before leaving the room. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a communicator. "Attention Krimzon Guards, report to the Bazaar and find what landed there. Detain them, but don't kill them, for the Baron wants them."

"_Yes sir, Commander,"_ one of them responded through the other side.

The red haired man moved his head up, and smirked. _'This, will be interesting…'_

Only that he, and a few others, didn't realize just how interesting it will be...

_Earlier…_

It was just an average day at the Bazaar area of Haven City…

"STOP! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"

If you count running away from the Krimzon Guard (or KG as they're called) that is…

However, for her, it's a daily routine. And she loved it, since they could never really catch her.

With a giggle, she jumped up onto the awning, using it as a trapeze to get to the roof of a building, and ran across the shingling. She jumped, cartwheeled, and weaved through the shots made at her, the bystanders running for their lives as this happened. Yet she laughed at them.

She ran across a wire, and jumped from a couple more buildings, the precious cargo still in her hand. "Ah, I _love_ the sound of the KG in the morning…" she fake sighed in content.

Finally, she found herself a hiding spot and quickly hid at the tight space between two buildings. Big enough for her to fit through; yet small enough for her to not get noticed by the guards.

She waited silently as the guards searched around for her. Sure enough, after a few minutes, they gave up and resumed their patrol. She once more gave out a giggle. _'Silly guards,'_ she thought, _'When will they learn that they'll never catch me?'_

Getting out of her hiding place, she climbed onto the roof of a building, making sure that she's hidden, and sat down. "Alright!" The girl cheered, opening up her cargo.

A bag filled with some bread and fruit she had… pilfered. "Lunch is served!" She took out a loaf of bread and prepared to eat it-

Until a strange sound erupted in the sky above her. "What the-" She looked up towards the sky-

And she felt her jaw drop as what looks like a comet came falling towards the city…

And crash landed onto the ground a mile from her area. The impact shook the ground a little, sending a few people running in panic. The girl shook her head at this behavior. The people in this city are so fickle…

"Attention!" She suddenly heard one of the guards exclaim, automatically went into hiding. She peeked out from her hiding spot and spotted a squad of KG below her. "We've just got an order from Commander Errol. We are to go to the crash site and find out who landed there and apprehend them! Let's go!" With that, the squad ran to the area the person had crash landed at.

The girl went out of her spot and watched them go. She looked in the direction she saw the thing crashed at. "What's so important that the Baron wanted to get?" Deciding to find out, she jumped from building to building to try to get there faster…

* * *

><p>Much earlier, the comet-like energy had just crashed onto the ground, and dissipated, its occupants bounced on the dirt ground painfully before coming to a stop. "Chaaaaa…" One of them moaned in pain, slowly standing up and holding a… paw to its head as the other one groaned a bit, not daring to move.<p>

Once he regained himself, Ash Ketchum propped himself up with his elbows, opened his eyes-

And did a take at his surroundings. "Where the heck are we Pikachu?" He asked his friend, moving to sit up, looking around some more.

**(Activating PokéTranslator)**

"(I… don't know Ash,)" was his response. As they looked around some more, something told them that they aren't in Pallet Town anymore.

As they got on their feet, the raven haired boy finally noticed the pedestrians, all stopping what they were doing to look at something…

And that something is them, he realized.

"Who is that guy?"

"What the heck is that creature?"

"It doesn't look like a Metal Head…"

"How come his ears are so short?" He heard them saying, though he caught the last question.

"Huh?" He muttered, before he took a closer look at the people. But mostly their surprisingly long, ears.

Instinctively, the boy reached up and felt his own ears, realization dawning on him that he **diffidently** _isn't _at Kanto – or the Earth – anymore.

They both suddenly heard the sound of many heavy footsteps approaching them. They looked around for a moment before they did a take at seeing the source once the crowd had moved away; either in fear or something else, the boy didn't know. It was a bunch of large, red-armored troopers bearing what looked like rifles (and like everyone else around him, they all have long ears) were approaching them quickly and harshly.

"There," a slightly statical voice came from one of the other troopers, "That must be them."

The two suddenly found themselves surrounded by the troopers, staring down the barrels of the rifles. As the trainer and Pokémon looked over the men in confusion, they heard one of them asking incredulously, "What's up with the kid's ears?"

"And what the hell is that animal?" Another one asked, looking over at Pikachu, earning a glare from him.

"(Hey! I resent that!)"

"Hey, uh… who are you guys? Where are we?" Ash meekly asked, lifting up his hands to try to calm them down.

"You have no rights to ask any questions!" The leader harshly retorted, making the two of them flinch. "You're under arrest for suspicious activity! You're lucky that the Commander and the Baron wanted you alive!"

'_Commander' and 'Baron?' _The raven haired boy echoed in his head, _'Who are those guys?'_ Then what the guy said earlier hit him. "Wait! You're arresting us for something we didn't do?"

"Silence freak!" The leader took a step forward-

Before Pikachu got in front of his trainer, his cheeks sparking as he hissed dangerously at them. "Stand down!" One of the troopers growled at the mouse.

But before any damage could be done, what appears to be a smoke bomb hit the ground and exploded, covering the area in a thick cloud. As the boy and his Pokémon coughed as the gas entered their lungs-

The Trainer felt someone grabbing his wrist and lead him out. "WOAH!" He cried out at the force of the pull.

Pikachu heard his trainer, crying out "(ASH!)" before he quickly made to follow them.

The boy let out some cries as he was disoriented, trying to keep up with the person who was literally dragging him somewhere. They weaved through crowds, made some sharp turns at some places and even bowled over some fruit and vegetable stands. (Random Sales Guy: "MY CABBAGES!")

Finally, they came across those houses supported by low rising beams. Bit close to the ground, but big enough for a couple of teenagers to fit into. They stopped as his savior looked around. "H-Hey! Who are you? What's going on-"

"Over here!" The person – a girl he realized – suddenly exclaimed, taking his wrist and dragged him again to one of the houses. "Go under!" She ordered, shoving him down.

"Okay! Okay! You don't have to push me!" The raven haired boy glared at the girl before he went under the house. As the girl did so as well, Pikachu came into the scene, quicker than anyone else, and looked around for his trainer. "Pikachu!" He whispered, getting his Pokémon's attention. "Over here, and quick!"

"(Okay,)" the mouse nodded before quickly running over and hid besides his Trainer.

And not a moment too soon, because the guards that tried to arrest them charged into the area. "Where did they go?" One of them asked as they looked around for the two.

"How could we have missed them?" The other one questioned, "You can easily spot them since they're odd looking!" Under the house, Ash and Pikachu made bored looks at that.

"C'mon! We'll search somewhere else!" The leader snarled as they all left the area.

The three hiding stayed silent as they listened to the heavy footsteps fading away slowly… slowly. Until the area went silent. The three of them sighed in relief. "That was close…" Ash muttered, loud enough for the two on his sides to hear him.

"(I'll say…)" Pikachu also muttered as the two of them relaxed.

The two heard movement as the girl dragged herself out from under the house, and dusted herself off. Ash and Pikachu followed suit, also dusting themselves off. When they're done, they turned to her. "Hey, thanks for helping us back there," the raven haired boy said, honestly thankful.

Only to meet the fury in her green eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She questioned, catching them off guard, "You should know better than to try to talk to those guys! Trying to even reason with them is a _death sentence_! You're lucky I was there to help you from the Krimzon Guards, but you made me skip lunch to do so!"

However, the boy looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean? Who are the Krimzon Guard?"

The girl blinked in surprised. "What? You mean you don't know?" It was then that she got a good look at his ears. "**Woah!** What happened to your ears?"

Again, Ash blinked. "My ears?" It was then that he got a _good_ look at her. Like the people who saw him, and those guys in red – the Krimzon Guard? – she also has long ears. However, her skin is a lot darker then the people he saw.

Aside from her green eyes, the top and bangs of her hair are pink while the rest in the back – that was in a braid – turned to red. She wore a white high-collared halter top under a red short high collar jacket. Around her waist, where a pair of short blue shorts is, are two intersecting belts with bags dangling on the sides. She also wore a pair of blue gloves – yet on her right hand the thumb, index, and middle fingers are cut off, and her left hand, the pinky and rings fingers have the same treatment – with dark blue cuffs. She wore a pair of high white socks, and a pair of high brown boots with a zipper and straps.

He was broken out of his thoughts when she felt the girl yank on one of his ears. "OW!"

"Hm…" She let out as she examined them. "They don't appear to be cut off or anything… Yet how could they be so short like this?"

"H-HEY! LEMME GO! IT HURTS!" He exclaimed when the pain intensified a bit.

Thankfully, she did. "Sorry," she said. As the boy rubbed his ear, the female then she saw Pikachu. "AW! It's so cute!" She scooped up the Pokémon and snuggled him. "Aw… I've never seen something so _cute_ in my life! I've seen other things, but this one fits the bill of cuteness!" As she was talking, she played with Pikachu's cheeks, played with his arms, even yanking on his tail and ears a bit (much to the Pokémon's discomfort).

The girl then suddenly remembered something and turned to him. "Oh, sorry! I forgot to introduce myself!" She offered her hand as she said, "My name is Ciel. What's yours?" At that moment though, the girl cried out in surprise (and a little bit of pain) when Pikachu, who got annoyed of her, decided to shock her to teach her a lesson. After a few seconds, the poor girl groaned a bit as bits of her skin was smoking and has bits of ash on her, and she fell over.

Ash could only chuckle nervously at this.

_Sometime later…_

"So, let me get this straight," Ash began as they both sat on the roof where Ciel had hidden the food she took earlier, the three of them eating. The boy swallowed the piece of bread he was munching on, and continued, "The place me and Pikachu are in right now is part of a large city called 'Haven City'?" At Ciel's nod, he continued, "And that this place is ruled by some guy named Baron Praxis, who is waging war against creatures called 'Metal Heads', after he banished the real ruler of the city, yet he rules with an iron fist and used fear to control these people? And those guys in red are called the Krimzon Guard?"

"Yeah," the pink haired girl nodded, before taking a bite of her fruit. "They're meaner than hell, and used outrageous charges and brutality to arrest people and control them! And their leader is a real jerk!"

"I can see that," Ash made a tired look.

"(I'll say…)" Pikachu also made a tired look, also holding a fruit.

"So what about you?" Ciel asked, "You did say that you're not from Haven City, right?"

"Yeah," the boy started to scratch the back of his head, as if embarrassed. "It's kinda hard to explain, and kinda hard to believe."

"Hey, you're the first person I've met with short ears and a yellow creature called 'Pikachu'," she pointed out, "so how unbelievable could it be?"

Ash and Pikachu gave each other a look, before the latter shrugged. The former sighed. "Okay, well, here goes nothing…" He said, rubbing his head again.

"Well, see, where me and Pikachu came from…" He trailed off as he noticed something in his pocket. Digging into it, he pulled it out. It was a small handheld device colored black and red. Although it didn't look like much to other people, to people like Ash, it IS important. "Hey, my Pokédex!"

"Po-key-what?" The girl blinked.

"Well… Maybe it'll be better if you use it yourself," he said, handing the device to Ciel.

The dark skinned girl took the device in her hands, and looked over it a bit. She suddenly noticed a thin line of sorts and moved her hands to it. She suddenly found that the thing has two flaps, the both of them having a screen on the top flap, and the bottom part, and next to them is some sort of directional pads. As she looked over the thing again, she soon accidentally pointed it at Pikachu.

"_**Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon,"**_ the thing said in a monotonous female voice, surprising the girl, _**"This intelligent Pokémon roasts hard berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. It raises its tail to check its surrounds; and sometimes it will be struck by lightning in this pose."**_

Ciel once more blinked. "So, Pikachu is a… 'Po-key-mon'?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. Though he had a feeling that she misspelled it, but he'll let it slide. "Where I come from, there are a lot more of them, all of them different from Pikachu here."

"(That's right,)" the mouse nodded, crossing his arms.

"Really?" The girl exclaimed in shock. There are other 'Po-key-mon' different than the cute and cuddly Pikachu?

"Yup. They all come in different shapes and sizes, and they all use different elements, like fire, water, and grass to name a few. When Pikachu shocked you earlier, he's an electric type. And there are still a lot more to be discovered." At that sentence, he thought about those two fox-like Pokémon he met in Crown City, Zorua and Zoroark.

"I see… but how the heck could you live with those creatures?"

"Well, unlike Metal Heads, that destroys and kill stuff for the heck of it, we all live side by side in places you would expect them to be. But most of the time, people train these guys, like me. The only thing we have to do to do that is to catch these guys in items called 'Pokéballs'. They're kinda like capsules; you shrink them to carry them around better, and expand them so you can call them out to do battle. We trainers also travel around the world at other regions against other trainers and their Pokémon. There are also huge competitions called the Pokémon League where we all battle tough opponents to try to be the Champion; but there are other events called Pokémon Contests where you just train them to show off their abilities and moves. And since we don't know much about Pokémon, there are people who study them to learn about their behavior and such."

"What!" Ciel exclaimed, "You put them in small balls and then force them to battle each other? That's horrible!"

"No, no, no! You've got it all wrong!" Ash quickly said, waving his arms comically to calm her, along with Pikachu. "We don't force them to do anything they don't want to do! Pokémon actually like to battle, against trained Pokémon or wild ones! It's more of a spar, like two people with martial arts training; just to see who's the strongest. But if they don't want to battle, then we won't force them to do it. And putting them in a Pokéball isn't as bad as it sounds. Even though I still couldn't figure it out," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "they somehow made them to become more comfortable so that they can take a good rest. And we let them out as much as we can." He made a sheepish look as he said, "But not all Pokémon like being in their Pokéball. And Pikachu here is one of the said Pokémon that doesn't like being in there for a while."

"Okay…" she said, raising a brow. "So… are they happy like this? And are they all in it by choice?"

"Well… I wish I could say that, but there are some people who use them for tools, not like their partners," he hung his head, thinking of the people that merely treated them like prizes, tools… and for their own personal gain. "They also use Pokémon to do terrible deeds. Like this one group I know called Team Rocket." Here, he looked furious, "They love to steal Pokémon from other trainers, poaching them from the wild with traps and nets, and they use them for their own personal gain. And if the Pokémon don't want to battle, then they'll force them to do it by hurting them and such. They do that because they're trying to take over the world."

"Aw man… that's sounds awful…"

"I know…" The boy looked solemn as he said this.

"(Hey… it'll be okay Ash…)" Pikachu said, patting him on the back.

Ciel silently took in their conversation and gestures. After that, she said, "Well… How the heck did you two even get here?"

"I'm not sure, really," Ash admitted, rubbing his chin, "Prof. Oak and Tracey found something odd at the professor's backyard. It's orange, shaped like an egg, and has really strange writing on it."

Ciel also rubbed her chin, in thought. This… is very odd indeed. What sort of thing made these two come here? After a moment of silence, she shrugged helplessly. "Sorry guys, but I can't think of anything that could help…"

Both Ash and Pikachu hung their heads at this. "Oh man… nothing comes easy I guess…"

"But…" The two of them perked up a bit when she spoke again. "I DO have an idea though. The word on the street is that there's a resistance group fighting for the rights of every citizen in Haven City and working to overthrow the Baron. They're called the 'Underground'."

"The Underground?" Ash and Pikachu blinked a bit at this.

"Yeah, I also thought it was a strange name when I first heard about it," she admitted, then shrugged, "But I'm not the one who came up with it. Anyways, this group is founded by a guy called 'the Shadow'. And before you ask," she stated before Ash could say anything, "the reason why he's called that because no one really knows who the Shadow is. But I heard that sometime before it was made, the Shadow somehow managed to drive off the Metal Heads all on his own."

"Woah…" Both the short eared human and Pokémon lowered their mouths in awe. "This guy sounds powerful."

"Yeah," the long eared human nodded, "Well, I've been meaning to join them myself since I wanted to give the Baron a piece of my mind!"

Ash once more rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. Pikachu looked over at his friend. "(Ash?)"

"Hm…" He then looked at Ciel directly. "Let's go and find the Underground and join!"

Ciel, though, gave him an unsure look. "Are you absolutely sure? The Shadow probably doesn't know how to get you two home."

"I know." Ash's response took Ciel, and even Pikachu, by surprise. "But after what you told us about Baron Praxis, and about the scuffle with the Krimzon Guard earlier, I've got to find a way to help them! Besides, we're not really in a big hurry; if we managed to win this battle, we'll figure out how to get home from there."

The pink/red haired girl gave him a long look. "I'm not sure whether to be impressed or not. But you have to remember, our world is not like yours at all."

"Hey, no need to worry!" Ash clenched his fist in determination. "I'm sure me and Pikachu can take on anything!"

"(You betcha!)" Pikachu pumped his fist in determination.

Ciel looked over the two for a bit. Then sighed, crossing her arms. "Alright then. I heard that the Underground has a base somewhere in the Slums area of the city, so once we get there, we better be discreet and try to find it."

"Alright then, let's go!" Ash exclaimed, suddenly standing up and began to walk away-

"HOLD IT!" Ciel grabbed the back of the boy's collar, stopping him from going further. "Don't you remember that the KG are still after you two? And me since I saved your asses…" She muttered the last part to herself.

"Oh…" Both he and Pikachu looked at each other. "What do we do now…?"

"Don't worry, I'm working on it!" Ciel made a thoughtful look, trying to figure out how to get by the KG. Her eyes traveled for a bit until she spotted a stand that sells hooded cloaks and another stand that sells what looked like messenger bags, but made of cloth. She then grinned as an idea hit her, like seeing an airy-old man naked suddenly. **(Ten points for those who get this.)**

_A few minutes later…_

"…I don't know about this Ciel…" Ash stated, looking unsure.

"Don't worry! I bet my Wastelander abilities that this is fool proof!" The girl assured him, yet he wasn't all that convinced.

All that she could manage was to put him in a hooded brown cloak, and a brown messenger bag, which looked big enough to hold/hide Pikachu in it. Although he asked where she got these, she merely waved it off, telling him to 'trust her on this'.

The boy then sighed in resignation. "Okay… If you say so…" _'At least it's better than being disguised as a girl…' _The boy tried to enlighten himself, remembering his first adventure.

"Alright then! Let's get to the Slums, pronto!" The 'Wastelander' proclaimed, jumping off of the roofs ahead of him.

"H-Hey! Wait up!" The boy cried out, trying to keep up with the girl. Even though most of his limbs are heightened a bit on his last few journeys, he still couldn't keep up with the girl. Yet, for Pikachu, it was a breeze for him.

It was a few minutes later where they all came across a manhole. The three of them started at it for a bit before Ash and Pikachu gave the girl an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, it's the quickest way to get to the Slums," she explained, "Besides, the KG won't expect us going through here, because I use a secret passage there to get around to other places!"

As she began to pry open the lid, Ash put his hands on his hips, watching a bit. _'Would've it been better to have like a train or something?' _He thought as he scratched the top of his head-

He stopped himself, his eyes going wide. During the events that happened in a span of nearly an hour…

He hadn't noticed that his hat is missing! Although it wasn't stolen like the last two times, he truly, truly, lost the hat he worn during his Sinnoh tourney.

But before he could think more of it, Ciel finally opened the lid and gestured for the boys to go first. The boy decided to think more about it later since they have more important things to do; so he jumped in first, followed by Pikachu, then finally the dark skinned girl, who closed the lid behind her.

* * *

><p>Little did Ash realize, his hat actually came to Haven City first…<p>

…At a different area. The area looked to be like an industrial area of sorts, all sorts of different colored metal, and some of the buildings looked to be made of metal.

The cap lay there, unnoticed by the civilians and the KG, seemingly abandoned…

Until someone DID approach it. The person reached out their small, tanned pudgy arms and picked it up. The owner of the arms turned out to be a little boy, who looked to be a toddler. He glanced over the hat with his dark cobalt eyes, wondering what it was and where it came from.

Realizing that it seemed to be a hat, the boy was about to put it on-

"Osha?" Before he heard something.

Blinking, he looked to the source.

And couldn't help but look curious at the small creature before him.

It's nothing like he saw before, but from what he could remember, it resembled an otter…

…If otters are colored in shades of blue and white, and has a shell on its stomach.

The thing tilted its head at him, as he did the same. "Osha-wott?"

The two of them glanced over each other, even walking around each other, examining the other before them. The boy held up a hand and reached towards the creature. He hesitated a moment before he put it on top of the creature's head. When the creature merely stared at him, the boy took that as a sign to gently rub its head. The otter perked up, then cooed and leaned into the boy's touch.

The boy let out a giggle and rubbed its head some more. Then he returned his attention to the hat he has in his hands. He gave a look at the otter creature before he looked back at the hat and placed it on. As soon as he let go of it, though, it kinda fell around his eye level, blinding him for a moment before he lifted the visor up a bit. He looked at the creature, the latter looking back at him. Then the two of them gave each other a hearty laugh.

"Child?" They both kinda jump a bit when they heard a voice calling out. "Child, where are you?" They looked towards the source, first seeing what appears to be a cross between a dog and a crocodile, running up to them and whined at the boy; it was clear that the pet was worried for the boy before it turned its attention to the otter, giving it a weird look as the otter did the same.

Finally, an old man in a blue robe came in, using a wooden cane as an aid, looked around for a bit then spotted the boy. "Oh, there you are," he stated, putting a hand over where his heart is before going over to the boy, "For a moment, I thought I had lost you to those guards." Then he noticed the otter creature and the pet staring at each other. "Hm…" he stroked his chin, "This is the first time I've seen the mutt act like this."

He knelled to the otter's level, instantly earning a growl from the mutt, yet he ignored it. "And just what are you little creature?"

"Osha?" It let out, tilting its head at the man. However, the otter felt something odd with this man; like there's more to him than meets the eye. It decided to be cautious and just go along with it. "Osha, Osha-wott." It said, patting itself on its chest, as if it was introducing itself.

The old man stroked his beard a bit more, analyzing its actions. Then, "From what I could gather, your name is 'Oshawott'?"

"Osha," the otter, Oshawott, nodded to confirm the old man's suspicions. The boy looked over the old man then at Oshawott, and back at the man.

The old man merely gave out a 'hm' before he straightened himself up. "Well, I thank you for watching over the boy, but we must be going," he said to it. Looking over the boy, he added, "Come along now." He began to walk off-

Until he noticed the boy had gone over to Oshawott, held it and looked pleadingly at the man, who just noticed the cap on his head. After a moment of staring at the boy's face, the old man sighed. "Very well. It can come along. And you may also keep the hat," he added, gesturing to that head accessory.

The boy grinned happily, and looked over Oshawott before he went over to the man's side, with Oshawott and his pet next to him. "Now, let us go on our way, shall we?" The boy nodded at the man, and they all continued their way.

But as Oshawott looked over the man, it narrowed its eyes a bit before giving the mutt a look. The mutt nodded, as if they shared the same thought. They both needed to keep an eye on this man, and protect the boy anyway they could.

* * *

><p>At the other part of the city, is the Slums area. This is the part of the city where people who lived poor lives, as opposed to the people that lived in one of the Bazaar areas. Only those that couldn't afford a job lives here.<p>

And, according to the rumors, it is also said to be where the base of the resistance group, called the Underground, resides. There are a few trenches that have pipes running along within them, and wooden bridges are placed over them so that some people could walk over them. And because of that, no one could notice a large valve of sorts that has a round metal door there.

The valve turned in a clockwise position, before it opened up. And emerging from behind it is Ciel, followed by Ash and Pikachu. "And, here we are!" The girl proclaimed, raising her arms in the air.

"Ah, man… I don't want to go through there again…" Ash muttered, fiddling with his cloak, which has a bunch of holes and tears on it.

And how did he get them? Well… you really don't want to know.

As he pulled the hood over his head, he gestured for Pikachu to go into the bag. Although the mouse hesitated, he assured his friend that he'll only be in there for a little while, so Pikachu reluctantly jumped into the bag and hid himself. Ciel jumped onto the ground level first, looked around for any sign of the KG, then helped Ash up. "Sorry guys, but since we don't have any security passes, we can't go through much of the city," she explained.

Ash gave her a look, having an epiphany. "So we need those to go through some parts of the city?"

"Yup," she nodded. "Since we were once in the east section of the Bazaar, we needed a Yellow and Red Security Pass to get here. Now then," she added, looking around, "where do we begin?"

Ash also started to look around, and spotted something large and red loomed before them. Looking up at it, he pointed at it and opened his mouth-

"_Someone… please… help me…"_

And blinked in shock when he heard a voice. It sounded like a male, his voice sounding husky. Yet…

He looked over at Ciel. "Hey Ciel," when the girl hummed in response, he asked, "did… you just hear a voice?"

"Huh?" An invisible question mark appeared over the girl's head, "What voice?" Even Pikachu gave his trainer an odd look.

"Uh… I, guess it was nothing…" He muttered, rubbing his head. _'That's weird,'_ he thought, _'where did that voice come from? And… did he need help?'_

"Well, let's not get distracted!" The female exclaimed, turning from him and began to walk away, "We better go and find the Under- OW!"

She was cut off when she ran into someone and fell to the ground. As she moaned in pain, she heard someone speaking, "Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

The girl looked up at the source, seeing a young woman with blonde hair that reaches to her collarbone that has a purple headband in her hair, a pair of sky blue eyes looked over her in worry. She has some sort of orange colored cloth around her collarbone, and has a short, revealing green jacket with light green cuffs above her elbows. She has a pair of blue-green biker gloves, a pair of short shorts of the same color and held up by a brown belt. Finally, she wore a pair of blue green boots with a brown cloth wrapped under the arcs, and towards the knees, the parts at the knees and around calves is held by dark brown bands.

The darker skinned girl pushed herself up and dusted herself off. "Ah, don't worry about me, I'm not as fragile as anyone else," she told the older woman, sternly.

Ash gave Ciel a disapproving look before looking back at the woman. "Hey, don't worry about it," he assured the woman. "No damage was done."

The woman looked at ease. "That's good…" She smiled at the two of them (three since Pikachu is peeking from his hiding spot). "My name is Tess. What are yours?"

"I'm Ash," the raven haired boy is the first to speak; for some reason, the boy could trust this woman. "And that's Ciel," he added, gesturing to his friend, before continuing to Tess, "we're trying to find the base to the Underground."

As Tess blinked in surprise, the pink haired girl smacked the boy at the back of his head. "Ash…" She seethed in a warning tone.

"Why do you guys wanted to find the Underground?" Tess's question got the two to look at her.

"Well… We wanted to join in hopes of helping to take down Baron Praxis," the boy responded, rubbing the back of his head.

After Ash's explanation, the blonde female suddenly had a serious look on her face; looking around a bit to make sure no one was listening, she made a gesture to them to follow her before she started to walk off. The two teens gave each other a look before they followed her.

It took a few minutes, but after a few twists and turns (and making sure the KG aren't watching), they reached a wide clearing of the Slums near the city wall, and at the other side was the entrance to a small alleyway, where there's a wall that has an emblem of sorts in green spray paint. As the three of them entered the alleyway, Tess looked around. "Torn, are you here?" She called out, "I ran into a couple of kids that said they wanted to join the Underground."

No one answered.

Ciel gave the woman an evil eye. "Is this some sort of joke? Because if it is, then I am not laughing! And I don't like jokes very well-"

As the dark skinned girl ranted, a figure approached Ash from behind and the boy suddenly found a hand over his mouth, a curved knife hovering dangerously close to his neck. "Don't move!" A slightly raspy voice ordered, when the boy made a muffled gasp.

Ciel and Tess turned to the source and found a man around late 20's with a fairly built body, auburn hair in dreadlocks, some blue-gray painting over his cyan blue eyes, which are set in a permanent scowl of sorts, glaring at the young teenagers. He wore what appears to be a very faded jade green high-collar leather vest with a darker color at the hems, a pair of black goggles with red lens hung around his neck. There is a bit of armor around the some sort of blue material on his forearms. He has a brown belt wrapped around his lower waist that has a sheathe curved slightly at his left waist, and wears a pair jeans that also have a bit of armor on them. On the sides of his thighs are hostlers for a pair of pistols, and he wore a pair of dark colored boots.

"Ash-" The boy held up his head, telling the girl to stay where she is.

Tess, however, sighed a bit. "Torn, that young man you're holding hostage is one of the two that wanted to join."

The man, apparently Torn, merely gave Ash a suspicious glare, shifting his orbs over to Ciel then back at the boy before he moved his knife from the boy's neck and released him. But in the process, the boy's hood came off, revealing his face… along with his ears.

As Tess covered her mouth in surprise, and Ciel palming her face in exasperation, Torn merely raised a brow. "Well," he said in a low voice, tapping his chin, "It seems to be right on." At everyone's look, he explained, "I heard that the KG are looking for a kid with short ears, and apparently, a yellow colored _rat_ with him." At that, he sheathed his knife.

At that, Pikachu popped out of the bag, looking pissed. "(HEY, I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT!)"

"W-Woah, woah! Let's all calm down, okay?" Ash held up his hands to calm down the sudden tension in the air. "Well… my name is Ash, that's Ciel, "he gestured to the younger girl (who's still glaring at Torn), "and this is Pikachu." He added, gesturing to his friend, who's also glaring at Torn.

"Though listen, me and Pikachu aren't really from here," he explained, "We came from a place that's really not like Haven City at all. The two of us don't even know how we got here, but the moment we did, the KG tried to arrest us because their commander," he didn't notice Torn's eyes had widened a bit when the boy said 'commander', "wanted us for something. We were hoping to join the Underground to help take down the Baron after we heard about the injustice this place endured."

The area went silent, as everyone waited for the man's reaction. A bit of sweat appeared at the side of the boy's face. Finally, Torn made an amused grunt. "If what you say is true, you probably won't last long in this city," he said coldly, "If you wanted to join something, why don't you and your small troupe join something else? There are a lot of opportunities out there." He started to walk over to the wall, pass the Pokémon Trainer.

"Hey! Me and Pikachu are capable to handling _anything_ that's thrown at us!" It was true; the two of them took on dangerous Legendary Pokémon and other hazards thrown at them.

"And I'm also just as capable to take on the Baron and the KG!" Ciel piped up. "You should at least give us a chance to prove ourselves!"

At that, Torn stopped. Not shown to the trio, he made a smirk. "Alright, since you insisted," he turned to them, crossing his arms, "you three head over to the Krimzon Guard Fortress." He pointed over to the building that Ash had spotted earlier. "Gather some guns for the rest of Underground members, and try to see what the Baron is up to. But be discreet. If you managed to do that and get back here alive, then maybe we'll talk; but if not, well, _maybe_ we'll have a touching moment of silence in your honor."

"(I'd like to give _him_ a 'touching moment',)" Pikachu muttered between gritted teeth.

"Here," the man said, tossing something to the boy, "Take this communicator. Not only would you use it to communicate with us, but it has a GPS built into it."

Ash looked over the thing he caught in his hands. The metal is black in color, and has small circular screen on it, along with a speaker under it. Pressing a random button on it, the screen came to life, showing the entire map of the city. The boy then nodded, with a determined look in his eyes. "Count on it," he said, pocketing the device. Giving Ciel a glance, he asked, "You up for this?"

"You bet your ass I am," the girl smirked, popping her knuckles.

"Let's go then!" The raven haired boy put the hood over his head as Pikachu retreated back into the bag before the two ran out of the alleyway.

A few moments after they were gone, Tess looked over to the auburn man. "You do realize that you've sent them to the Lion's Den, right?"

Torn merely shrugged. "They asked for it," he said, walking off.

Tess merely shook her head, crossing her arms.

But whether Torn had realized it or not, those three will become one of the greatest assets in this war. And… perhaps, may end the war as well, bringing peace to the city after many long years… Yet who is the voice that Ash had heard? Perhaps only time will tell…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>WHEW! That certainly took a while. And it's not even over nine thousand in this chapter… Oh well.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** The trio are now about to perform their first mission, which, if they succeed, will allow them to join the Underground. However, they'll find out a bit of what the Baron has been 'working on' as they do so. And when they're nearly busted, an unexpected help lended them a hand. What will happen? Will they succeed or fail? ****Find out in the next exciting chapter of:**_** Aura Renegade!**_

**Please leave a review if you like it! ^w^**

**(Trivia: Torn is wearing his outfit from Jak X. Although I haven't played the game, I found the picture on the Jak and Daxter wikia and figured that outfit looked better on him. Also, I added an 'r' in Erol's name, since there's going to be one in Jak 3 anyway...)  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**(Humming along with 'Reach for the Stars) …Huh? Oh, hi! Welcome to the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing; not even the song which made its appearance on 'Sonic Colors'. Except my OCs.**

_Quick note:__ If you see this, "(Blah.)" That is translated Pokémon speech. Just to get that out of the way real quick._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Touring the Krimzon Fortress<strong>

**The Slums; 1305 hours**

"Okay… how are we suppose to get there?"

Ciel was about to give Ash an odd look before she remembered that he's not really from the city. Instead, she answered, "Well… We have that GPS, right?"

The boy blinked. "Oh yeah." He dug into his pocket and pulled the thing out. Pressing the same button as before, the map of the city came up, showing the area they were in. Humming a bit, he pressed another button, this time some… energy came out of the communicator and showed what appears to be a three-dimensional map of the city.

"Cool…" The two of them said in awe, Pikachu also saying it in his own language.

Ash fiddled with it for a bit, then somehow made it focus on their destination. To their surprise, it's only a few minutes away from where they're at… if they go by vehicle that is. "Well, let's get going then," Ash decided, and began to head to the fortress-

And accidently crashed into something metal. "OW!" He backed away for a bit and rubbed his nose a bit. "Who the heck would leave a _vehicle_ here?"

He did a take and took a real long look at it. "Hey, it is a vehicle…" Yet it didn't look like the ones he was used to seeing. It resembled a car, yet this one seems more like a… hovercraft or something. It's colored brown, and it seems to be made for two people; also there are two pilot-like steering wheels on it.

"Hey, it's one of those Zoomers!" The dark skinned girl exclaimed. She looked over it a bit, and nodded. "And it's a heavy-double one too!"

"'Zoomer'?" Ash repeated, rubbing his head. "What's that?"

Ciel scampered into the driver's seat, and fiddled with the fuse-box, pulling the lid off. "Well, from what I know, back before the Metal Heads came to our world, an inventor created a prototype version of these machines. But when the inventor disappeared at the time the Metal Heads appeared – and everyone thinks that they might've been killed back then – someone else perfected these machines. Ever since then, all of these Zoomers are used by everyone here in Haven City."

Ash nodded. "Okay, but what do you mean by a 'heavy-double one'?"

Ciel took two separate wires and looked over them a bit. "All of these Zoomers come in different variety. While there are some Zoomers made for two people, they're usually either heavy or light. And there are Zoomers for one person," she added as she put the wire she had back and took another one, "Most of them are large and bulky, but there are also ones built for speed." She looked over the wire she just found and brought out the exposed metal inside, bringing them together, and getting them to spark a bit. After a few seconds, the Zoomer suddenly spewed out some smoke before coming alive.

"Alright!" She exclaimed, pumping her fist.

"Awesome Ciel!" The boy cheered/praised. Then something strikes him as odd. "Hey Ciel?"

"Yeah?" The girl let out as she climbed into the driver's seat.

"If there are a lot of people using these things," the boy said, also climbing in and set the bag down so Pikachu can crawl out of it, "Then how come there are some of them abandoned around the city?" The boy had a point; the two of them had seen some of these on their way to the manhole at the eastern Bazaar area.

Ciel, after a moment of thinking about it, looked around suspiciously. "No one really knows," she honestly answered. She looked over the dashboard and spotted a lever connected to the steering wheel.

"Are you sure you can drive one of these…?" The Pokémon Trainer asked, both he and Pikachu looking over the dashboard on their side.

"Hey, relax already!" She told them, "Driving one of these things is like driving a Desert Runner back at my old home."

Before Ash could ask what she means, she flipped the lever. With a lurch, the Zoomer suddenly rose into the air, both the trainer and his Pokémon letting out cries in surprise. Then the girl slammed her foot onto the gas pedal, and the Zoomer took off, the two screaming as it did so.

"WOO-HOO!" The girl pumped her fist, feeling the wind in her hair and grinning like a mad-man (err, woman) while laughing like one.

"CIEL, YOU'RE GOING TO FAST!" The raven haired boy screamed, Pikachu holding on for his dear life as he held down his hood, and with swirls in their eyes. "SLOW DOWN!"

"WHAT?" She couldn't hear anything with the wind howling.

"I SAID SLOW DOWN!"

"STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

The girl continued to drive out of control in the Slums, damn near crashed into other Zoomers (and hell, even almost into a KG cruiser too), as the two non-Haven citizens continued to scream. She drove over the roofs, some awning, and hell, even flown under the wooden bridges, giving not only Ash and Pikachu a scare, but other pedestrians too.

Finally, after an eternity (in reality, it's only been 5 minutes) of driving around like a maniac, the girl spotted some sort of… entrance up ahead, that leads into the menacing red and black building Torn had pointed to earlier. She did a take, and slammed onto the breaks, twisting the wheel around a lot to try to make it stop at its side, spinning at a 360 degree angle, giving Ash and Pikachu a new reason to scream once more.

The Zoomer was getting dangerously close to the side of the building, and on Ash's side too. The two held onto each other, bracing themselves for impact. And just before it hit the wall…

It came to a complete stop, gently tapping against the wall. "Well, here we are," Ciel stated, as if not affected by what they just went through.

Ash and Pikachu still held onto each other, frozen solid with large eyes and their teeth clenched, and not daring to move. Even as Ciel hopped out of the Zoomer. "Let's get this started you two!" She took off to scout out the area that leads to the Fortress.

Everything went silent for a bit. "Pikachu?"

"(Yeah Ash?")

"Is… Is there a phobia of people who drive at crazy speed and stuff?"

"(…Not to my knowledge…")

"There's one now…" As if to add insult to injury, a pair of air bags burst from the two steering wheels, smacking the two on the face. Pikachu's ears lowered a bit.

After a few moments of fumbling with the air bags, Ash and Pikachu quickly jogged over to Ciel's side, seeing that the girl had hidden herself behind the building as she watched entrance to the Fortress. "Uh…"

"Shh!" She shushed him, and made a gesture for them to look over the corner as well.

And did a take. "Aw man…" he muttered quietly to his two allies.

And why would he say this?

Because there are two guards, standing by the ramp that leads into the fortress, loaded with their rifles. There are also some arc-shaped red and black metal on the ground next to them. And there is, what appears to be, a security camera over the entrance, turning to the sides.

"Okay… how are we gonna get past the security?" Ash queried, low enough for his friends. "We can't get by with that camera there…"

"Yeah…" Ciel nodded. "See those?" She pointed over to the arc-shaped metal on the ground. "The other day, I saw that those are turrets. Even if we somehow distracted the guards away from the entrance, we have those to worry about…" A part of Ash was wondering how Ciel knew those were turrets, but as he thought about it…

He felt that it's best that he didn't know…

"There's gotta be another way…" The raven haired boy rubbed his chin a bit.

The red/pink haired girl also hummed a little in thought.

"Say, when do you think that shipment of Eco will come in?" They blinked when they heard one of the guards talking. They looked back up to eavesdrop on them as the other one responded:

"I dunno, but hopefully soon. I'm tired of standing guard here…"

The first one shrugged (we'll call him Chance). "Well, it beats sewer patrol." The two of them shuddered at the thought of it. Then he spoke up again, "Y'know, I wondered if Baron Praxis's new weapon will be ready soon."

"New weapon…?" Ash quietly questioned, blinking along with Ciel and Pikachu.

"Who knows?" The second one shrugged (who shall be known as Mark). "I'm surprised he managed to live through all the Dark Eco the Baron pumped into him. No other person could live this long."

"Yeah… nearly two years too…" Chance added, nodding.

With the eavesdropping three, they're surprised by what they heard. Since Ciel lived on this world, she knows about all kinds of Eco. And diffidently Dark Eco, the most dangerous of them all, with its ability to corrupt and kill anyone who was unfortunate to either touch, fell, or to try to control this chaotic substance; however, she couldn't help but look surprised – and horrified – that the Baron is pumping some unfortunate individual with this stuff! Is he nuts?

But Ash and Pikachu never lived in a world with 'Eco'; so, to them, all of that is completely new. The three of them hid behind the building once again.

"It seems Praxis is trying to make a new weapon of sorts, right?" The raven haired boy asked her.

She nodded. "But still, is he crazy to pump someone with Dark Eco?" She said, still tripping out by what she heard.

The Pokémon Trainer is still wondering what exactly 'Eco' is, though he had a general idea of what 'Dark Eco' is. "So that Dark Eco stuff is bad?"

"I keep forgetting that you're not from here, but yeah, it is," the girl nodded. Then an idea struck her. "I've got it!" She bobbed her fist into her hand. "They did say they were waiting for a shipment of Eco, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"C'mon, we gotta go find it real fast!" The dark skinned girl quickly took off, leaving the two there. The two of them stood there for a moment, looked at each other and shrugged before jogging up to catch up to her.

…And saw her about to go into the Zoomer again. "Oh, no! I'm not going into that thing again!" He protested.

"Hey, c'mon! We have to find that convoy filled with Eco!" She insisted, not getting out of the vehicle. "Besides, we can find it a lot faster doing so!"

"After what **we've** gone through?" The teenage boy exclaimed, "No thanks! I'd rather walk there, thank you!" And he started walking to find the convoy.

"C'mon Ash! You wanted to join the Underground, do you?" Pikachu looked at the girl.

"Yeah! But I'd rather not ride in that thing with **you** driving!" Pikachu looked at his Trainer.

"Hey, I'll have you know that there's **nothing** _wrong _with my driving!"

"You drive like a maniac!" Pikachu looked between the two as they bicker, back and forth.

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!"

"I do **not**!" Ciel and Ash's faces are now close to each other's, their foreheads touching.

"**Yes** you **do**!"

"(Okay, break it up you two!)" Pikachu, having enough of their bickering, literally got between them and shoved them back. "(We've got a job to do in case you've forgotten!)"

Ciel and Ash stared at the Mouse Pokémon, who looked to be giving them a lecture, but it's kind of hard to tell since he kept saying his name. Finally, Pikachu finished it off, looking like he was saying that they should stop fighting and get back on the ball, crossing his arms and nodding a bit.

A few seconds went by, until Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his head a bit. "Yeah… I guess you're right Pikachu…"

Ciel looked at him with an incredulous look. "You can understand him?"

"Well… sort of," he admitted, "I can normally tell by what body movements he does, but… lately, I have a feeling of what he's going to say by feeling… his Aura, I guess…" He looked at his hands thoughtfully.

Ciel and Pikachu gazed at the raven haired boy, the former wondering what this 'Aura' is, while the latter looked amazed that his friend could still feel the energy, even after that kidnapped Riolu incident. "…Well, I think I'll ask about that until after we finished our mission," the girl crossed her arms.

"Alright then." Then one of Pikachu's ears twitched a little, as if he heard something.

"(Huh?)" He looked around, his ears still twitching as he kept hearing the strange sound. The Pokémon then charged off to find the source.

"Hey Pikachu, what's up?" The boy asked, he and the Wastelander (he still has no idea what that means) followed him. After a bit, they all found the source of the sound Pikachu heard…

…Which looked like a bunch of Krimzon Guard double-Zoomers, with some sort of compartment that has something stored in there; and the doors looked like iron bars which looked like a couple of teenagers could fit through, and there are a bunch of barrels in there. All of them are lined up in a straight line, above the trio in the air, near an area around the wall of the Fortress.

The trio quickly hid themselves to avoid being spotted. "Is this the convoy?" Ash asked, once they felt secure. A nod was her reply. She then suddenly ran out from her hiding spot. "Ciel!" The boy exclaimed, reaching out for her in vain. The girl ran beside the steel awning before she jumped up onto it and jumped from there, and clung onto the back of the last cruiser in the line.

"C'mon, hurry!" She called out to the duo.

And not a moment too soon, because the wall in front of the leading cruiser opened up to the same size as all of the cruisers. Once it opened all the way, the cruisers all started to hover into the hole slowly, as to not drop precious cargo.

The trainer and his Pokémon did a take, suddenly realizing the predicament they're in. They quickly ran to try to catch up to the cruiser that Ciel is in.

"Guys, hurry!" She called out.

"You go on ahead Pikachu, I'll catch up!" Pikachu nodded at his trainer's order; the two of them trust each other.

Focusing energy within himself, Pikachu used Quick Attack, a streak of light following him as he ran up to the awning, jumped off of it and to the cage, where Ciel managed to catch the little Pokémon.

"(Ash!)" The electric mouse exclaimed to the boy still running. "(Hurry!)"

The raven haired boy ran as fast as he could, jumping up and caught onto the awning. With monkey (or Mankey/Aipom in his world) like reflexes, he pulled himself up quick, his cloak falling off, and ran along the awning.

'_I don't have much time!'_ He exclaimed in his head, noticing that 3/4th is the cruisers are still out. If he didn't hurry, he won't be able to get in with Ciel and Pikachu.

Mustering his willpower (and faintly felt a spark within him), with strength he never knew he had, he jumped. Everything seemed to slow down. Ash's hands inched closer. Closer. Closer…

He started to fall, his fingers mere inches from the cage-

Until Ciel caught his hand, the two immediately clasped on together. "Hang on!" The girl grunted, trying to pull him up.

Yet he was a bit too heavy for her. "Hang on Ciel." Ash pointed at the cage. "Try to swing me close to them!"

Seeing the purpose of the request, she did so with a bit of arm strength she has. It took a few swings, but the raven haired boy, with enough momentum, managed to grab a bar and released his hand from Ciel's and pulled himself up and into the cargo box.

And not a moment too soon, because as soon as he got in that the carrier they're in just entered the fortress, the hatch closing behind them.

All of the cruisers continued to hover inside what looks like a hanger **(A/N: as in the place where some of the jet planes and such are at) **until they all slowly floated down to ground level. As the KG moved out of their cruisers, the three secret passengers managed to slip away as soon as they landed, being led by Ciel as she spotted an entrance to a hallway once they entered; they managed to slip through before the KG started to unload the shipment of Eco.

* * *

><p><strong>KG Fortress; 1330 hours<strong>

After a few minutes of wondering the hallway, they reached the opening to what looked like an intersection. Ciel spotted something and pressed herself against the wall, grabbing Ash to make him do same.

And good reason too, because there's _another_ security camera in the very middle of the 'T' shaped pass. It's somewhat above the entrance of the hall the trio are in, but it's still startling to say the least.

"Okay… We got in, but which way should we go?" The raven haired boy asked.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…" The girl shifted her green orbs around a bit, trying to find which way they should go. Then she realized something. "Ash, do you still have that communicator?"

The boy blinked before he did a take. "Oh yeah, that's right!" He dug into his pocket, "I can't believe I've forgotten about this!" He then pulled out the small device and turned on the GPS part of the communicator. It showed a small map of the part of the fortress they're in; the small 'T' like intersection has a small blue arrow near the middle part, which indicates where the party (or rather the communicator's holder) is located at. He zoomed it out, moving it a bit to try to locate the said area.

He blinked. "It looks like the two paths lead to our destination."

"Really?" She looked over the boy's shoulder to get a look. True to his words, the two paths do indeed lead to where they are suppose to go, indicated by a blinking small green orb; however the paths, and the area it was in, is covered in light blue, although the parts that they went through, along with the area they're in, are colored in. They deduced that the blue areas are the unexplored parts of paths they need to take.

"Well, at least we know where we're suppose to go," the boy tried to enlighten the situation.

Ciel merely gave Ash a bored look before she looked at the map again. "Well, there are two of us and two paths, so I say we split up here. That way, the guards won't be able to catch the three of us, and one could help the other."

"Sounds like a good plan," Ash was quick to agree.

"Okay," she nodded. Then she pointed at the left side of the GPS, which seems to have small squares there, "That way looked like it has a lot of platforms, so I'll go… left." She double checked the map to confirm her direction that time.

"Alright, then we'll go right," the boy jabbed his thumb toward the said direction.

"We better wait until the camera isn't facing the direction we have to go before we do this," the red/pink haired girl suggested, looking at the camera-

As it turned to the right. "Like right now!" She exclaimed as she quickly bolted down to the left path.

"Ciel!" Ash cried out to her. But she was already gone. He groaned at this, then looked at the camera, shifting to the left this time. "We better go Pikachu."

"(Right!)" The Pokémon jumped onto his Trainer's shoulder before the latter bolted down the right hallway, as soon as the camera turned left all the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Ciel; 1335 hours<strong>

She walked down the path for a while (though it's only been a few minutes). She felt confident that the two of them could breeze through this mission.

Yet she's mostly curious about the boy and the creature that she had met earlier.

She has heard of a lot of things during her ten years at Spargus, such as the Precursors, the six types of Eco that are found around the world, the different Metal Heads that roam around the Wastelands, and even the legend of the Legendary Hero, Mar.

Yet, something… happened three years ago. She wasn't sure what it is, but it seemed to be related to their king. Her older, half-brother wouldn't tell her what it is, saying that it was 'personal' for the king.

After that, he left to this godforsaken city. Why, she doesn't know. No matter how many times she asked, on some days where he would come back, he never said anything.

She had had it.

The girl paused her thoughts when she got to the platforms she had saw earlier on the GPS. Along with them are some pillars that has metal poles sticking out between some of the ledges. She smirked. THIS is where her years of training is about to pay off!

She took a couple of steps back before she ran a bit and leaped forward, grabbing the pole and then started swinging back and forth before he got enough momentum to launch herself to the next platform. She did this a couple of times for the other platforms, before she got to the other side.

She looked over her shoulder, smirking again. "Eat your heart out Sig!" She quickly began to jog away a little, a skip in her step as she does so.

When she got into her normal pace, however, she got back to her previous thoughts. It was because of her unanswered questions that got her to come to this city two months ago. Although she managed to make a life for herself, by stealing food, money and other useful items, she could see why this place was so… detested by some of those who used to live in Haven City.

She swore to herself that she'll **never **ally herself to Baron Praxis and his guards.

Which lead to her encounter with the two she had helped out: Ash and Pikachu, beings that came from 'another world'. A world where it seems Eco, Metal Heads and Precursors never existed. Instead, that 'Aura' thing Ash had mentioned, and 'Po-key-mon'.

Making a small smile, she had to admit to herself: even though they had just met a couple of hours ago, those two are becoming interesting.

And she somehow had a feeling that things are about to get even more interesting the longer the three of them stayed here…

* * *

><p><strong>Ash and Pikachu; 1355 hours<strong>

"Hey Pikachu… are we going the right way?"

Pikachu couldn't help but palm his face, exasperated.

Leave it to Ash to get them lost. Even after all of these years, he **still** doesn't have a good sense of direction…

Seriously though, how the heck could there be another path on their path? It literally doesn't make sense.

"Well… let's check on the map again," he suggested, "That way, we could backtrack to our path and continue on from there."

"(At least you're using your head this time,)" Pikachu muttered, shaking his head as the raven haired boy dug into his pocket-

"What do you **mean** you've lost them?"

Until an angry voice was heard, startling the two.

"What's that?" The boy asked, looking around.

Pikachu twitched his ears, trying to find the source. He got onto the ground and began to search, just as another voice spoke up, this one sounding _very_ afraid. "We've looked everywhere Commander! It's as if they disappeared into the very city!"

Pikachu was able to quickly find the source, finding a thick metal grate on the floor. "(Over here!)" He softly called out, using a gesture to beckon him over.

Ash took careful steps to reach him and slowly moved to lay down onto the metal ground. The two of them looked through it to peer down at the floor below them. There are a couple of Krimzon Guards, and they stood nervously before a man around his mid 20's in a yellow and black jumpsuit; they could see a mess of spiky orange hair under the menacing steel mask on top of his head, and the man has a bit of KG armor over his chest.

"How could you have lost a couple of people in this city?" The man demanded once more, taking a step forward as the two guards took a step back. "I should've gone there and gotten them **sooner**!"

"Commander Errol, do not worry," one of them tried to coax the man, "We've got a picture of what they look like." He began to pull something out. "I have to tell you, they're both pretty strange looking."

The supposed Commander raised a brow, while their unknown eavesdroppers felt their hearts skipping a beat. Finally, the guard who spoke up brought up a holographic image of two people, one looking outraged and the other looked like it was about to attack. Two people that looked _very_ familiar to Ash and Pikachu.

'_Oh no!'_ The raven haired boy exclaimed in his head. _'They know about us!'_

Again, Errol raised a brow. Just what in the hell is that creature? And that boy… how come his ears are so short?

"Tell me… how _exactly_ did you managed to lose them?" He asked them.

"It's that Wastelander girl," the second one told him, "She appeared and took them off somewhere in the eastern Bazaar area!"

The orange haired man growled, before he roared and slugged the second guard, plowing him to the ground. "You're lucky I didn't execute you for your _incompetence_!" He advanced to the other one, shouting, "Resume search for the fugitives! And while you're at it, bring the Dark Eco to the Dark Eco Pump machine!"

"Y-Yes sir!" The guard stuttered, nervously saluting him before going over to his comrade, helping him up and they both quickly fled.

The Commander shook his head in annoyance. Sometimes, having some underlings can be quite bothersome…

He was about to take his leave-

When he felt that he was being watched. He suspiciously looked around the room first. He stood still for a moment, before he looked up-

And saw nothing.

Errol raised a brow in suspicion, still looking up at the ceiling as he began to walk away. Finally, he turned away to walk out of the room.

Little did he realize, Ash and Pikachu had quickly moved away from the grating when they saw Errol looking around the room. They silently listened as the Commander left the room until they couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. They both let out a sigh of relief. "That was close…" he silently spoke up.

"(Yeah…)" Pikachu nodded before he got off of his trainer. Ash moved to get up as well, hissing a little when a bit of his hair got caught on one of the screws holding the grate in place.

Sitting up all the way, he rubbed the spot where the hairs used to be and slowly stood up. "Let's get out of here Pikachu…" He quietly said, gesturing to the path they hadn't noticed before. Pikachu nodded before they both took off down the path.

Yet, little did Ash realize, the couple strands of hair that were left behind would cause problems for the boy in the near future…

_A few minutes later…_

"You know, I think that Errol guy is the Commander those guards from earlier mentioned."

Pikachu could only nod. It does seem likely; yet that guy was… way too brutal. If the Pokémon didn't know any better, he would say that the guy is a sadist. "(I hope we don't run into him much…)"

"I agree," his trainer nodded. He absentmindedly pulled out his communicator to bring up the map-

And blinked. "Hey Pikachu, I think we're almost there!" When Pikachu gave him a look, Ash showed him the map. "See?"

Indeed; the blue arrow, that was them, is close to the flashing green dot on the map. They both made excited looks and continued their way, this time a bit faster.

It wasn't a few minutes later that they came across a steel double door. The black haired boy checked the map again, and it showed that what they came here for is in this room. "Here we are…" he stated, before going up to it.

As if they sensed another presence in front of them, the doors parted away, letting the two get a glimpse in the room. The two of them walked in, their jaws lowered in awe at most of the weapons and armor they found. "Whoa… Which ones do we have to get?" The boy asked, looking around a bit. There are a bunch of pistols, rifles, and some other weapons Ash wasn't familiar with. So… what should they get?

"You scared me to death you guys!" A voice suddenly spoke up, startling the boys. They quickly looked for the source until they heard someone landing behind them. They turned-

And calmed down. "Ciel, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" The short eared human said, patting his chest to ease his pounding organ.

"And **you** guys are **late**!" The Wastelander told them, with what looks like a black duffel bag on her back. She placed the bag down, exposing most of the weapons the two had saw earlier. "I was almost down packing these before you guys came in here; I thought you guys were the KG so I had to hide at the upper corners of the room!"

"Sorry," the boy apologized, rubbing the back of his head. On both counts. "We were a bit sidetracked on our way here. But anyways, we found out who their Commander is; though let me tell ya, he's mean!"

Ciel looked over at him, intrigued. "Really? Who's that?" If it is who she thinks it is…

"Yeah, some guy named Errol. And he thinks of all of us as fugitives!"

Crap. This… is **not** good…

"Ah dammit… I hear that Errol's the worst of the two KG Commanders under Praxis," she told them, "Not only that, but he's the undefeated Champion of the Haven City races!"

'_Well, that kinda explains the jumpsuit,'_ Ash mused to himself. Then he remembered the girl's first sentence. "Wait, there are **two** Commanders?" At her nod, he continued, "Who's the second one?"

"Well… I'm not sure," she admitted, "I've only heard of the second Commander, but I've never seen them. I heard there was a Commander before Errol, but he quit. Maybe the guy got tired of the evil the Baron got here."

Ash merely nodded as he and Pikachu looked around some more, the girl returning to stuff the bag filled with weapons. Pikachu self volunteered himself to keep watch for the KG that might come in here, while his Trainer resumed looking. The boy had to admit, this is a lot of weapons; he didn't think that he would be able to see a place filled with guns. Sure they have a reason to have these things, but shouldn't they have a… higher security to make sure no one would take these?

He came across a large black case sitting there on the table. "Huh?" He silently let out, spotting it. What's a case this big doing here? And since it has a lock of sorts on it, it looked pretty important. Curiosity filling him, he looked over the case, then at the lock. It seemed to be a combination lock, yet instead of numeral lettering, they're similar to the markings on that strange object.

'_I wonder what's in this case,'_ He asked himself, taking hold of the lock and looked over it. Unknown to him, small cyan blue sparks coming from his fingers entered into the lock. A few seconds after that, the curved hatch popped open, unlocked. Needless to say, this surprised the boy. "How did that happen?" He muttered to himself.

Although it did give him access to whatever's inside the case. With that in mind, he took the lock off, popped the case hatches open and lifted up the lid.

Meanwhile, Ciel was finished stuffing some of the weapons she could find inside the bag. With effort, she zipped the bag close. "There… all finished!" She grinned, proud of her work. Grabbing it, she exclaimed, "I've got the weapons they needed, let's get out of here!"

Pikachu, after hearing nothing so far, nodded. "(Okay!)"

Yet there isn't a response from Ash. "Ash?" The girl let out, looking around for the boy. She found him over by the table where a black case is at. "Hey, did you even hear what I just said?" She advanced to the boy as she spoke, "I said that we could leave now!"

When she got to his side, however, she found the reason why the boy didn't answer her. She, too, also looked at the object, but in shock. "…When did they get this?" She questioned, pointing at the thing he found.

Pikachu, wondering what was going on, quickly came over to their side and jumped onto the table, looking at the object in confusion.

It was a gun, yet it's unlike anything Ash and Pikachu had ever seen. The main body of the gun housed two thick gun-barrels stacked on top of each other, the lower one extended a bit further. On top of the gun was a large red disc-like cartridge; what it's used for, they don't know. It was a large piece of weaponry, but it looked far more powerful than the rifles or pistols they saw. Ash slowly reached out to the gun and took it out of the case, and found himself surprised by how heavy it is.

The boy looked over the weapon in his hands. "What the heck is this?"

"Seriously," Ciel suddenly spoke up, "When did they acquire a Morph Gun?"

The two outsiders looked at the girl in confusion. "'Morph-Gun'?"

"Yeah, and it looks brand new, too," she added, looking over the condition of the gun. The two looked at the girl, with confused expressions. Then back at the gun.

"So… what exactly is so important about this gun?" He asked, holding it to the light.

"Well, it's a versatile weapon that has different mods, each one based on a source of Eco, all of them for different situations," she explained. She then pointed at the cartridge, adding, "See that? That cartridge is filled with Red Eco, which can shot at enemies at close range. You could say that it's a good choice for 'crowd control' at times."

Ash once more gave Ciel a look. "… So in other words it's like a shotgun?"

"Sort of."

"Wow… How do you know about all of this?"

"Back where I come from, almost everyone has these guns," she answered.

The Trainer looked over the Morph-Gun again. "Well, in that case, we should take it along too," he decided, closing the case.

"But where are we going to put it?" She asked, "There's not enough room in the duffel bag."

"Hey, no need to worry," he told her, "We'll think of something."

The moment was about to end however, because it was then that Pikachu heard something. Something – or rather some_one_ – approaching the armory. "(Someone's coming!)" He exclaimed, quickly tugging on Ash's pants to get his attention.

"What's up?" He asked his Pokémon. He suddenly felt distress waving off of the electric-type, and it seems connected to…

He did a take. "Is someone coming here?"

"What? Oh crap! We better hide!" Ciel exclaimed, dropping the bag and shoving it under the table and quickly jumped to a high corner somewhere. Pikachu and Ash looked around wildly for a place to hide as well; the Mouse Pokémon spotted a shelf high above where the case is. The Pokémon quickly hopped onto the table, then jumped high up onto the shelf, pulled himself up and laid there on his stomach, lowering his tail to not be seen.

That just leaves Ash. His mind began to panic, a primal instinct started to take over: self preservation and a need to hid himself. In a spur of a moment, he looked towards the table and hid under it.

Just as the doors opened up. The person who opened it walked in, the soft clicks of the person's soles are heard to the three hiding. None of them dared to look at the person who was walking in, their survival instincts not allowing them to do that.

The person walked over to the table, where Ash is at, clutching the Morph-Gun for dear life. The boy held his breath, hearing his heart pounding in his ears.

The person came closer. He held onto the gun tighter

He couldn't risk being seen by this person. His instincts told him that the person is an enemy; someone that could potentially harm him and his friends.

Yet…

How come he didn't sense the evil in this person?

Finally, the person is next to the table… and stopped. The three were wondering why they were stopping for. Then:

"You should do better than that if you wanted to hide," a sharp female voice advised them.

'_Huh?'_ They all thought, confused.

Finally, Ash slowly looked at the person in front of the table, seeing a pair of legs that seemed to be dark blue pants (that has what appears to be square shaped holes at the sides of their legs), has brown straps around their knee caps, having a bit of spikes on them as well, and a pair of a darker blue boots with a couple of straps sticking up from the top of their feet, and a bit of red at the toe and heel of the boots, also with a small spike at the toes. Though as Ash looked at them, something told him that they looked too… feminine to be a guy.

But the voice is also pretty much a dead giveaway, too.

The raven haired boy slowly moved out from under the table, still holding the Morph-Gun, and pushed himself up, standing before the stranger.

And stared.

Who wouldn't, when the stranger happens to be a young woman, around her early to mid-twenties, with dark red hair in dreadlocks, going all the way to her shoulders. She had a round, almost cute face with tattoos on it, much like that Errol guy and Torn does, looking over the boy with her stern olive green eyes. She wore a dark blue short jacket with light blue cuffs, brown clip-like things with small buttons on them are at the collar and hems of it; she also has a bit of armor on her right forearm, two bands (one a red sash on her right and the other a brown band with rectangular studs on her left) on her biceps, and two circular shoulder guards, one of which has a Krimzon Guard insignia on her right; under the jacket is a very short red top that fit tightly over her chest. She wore a pair of gloves that has red spikes at the back of her hands. She has a brown belt designed like her left armband with a red oval-shaped buckle, along with the same band on her left thigh, the same holes the boy saw almost reached to the top of her thighs. On her right thigh is a gun hostler.

"Uh…" The boy let out, looking up at the woman, who gazed over at the raven haired boy as well. But mostly his ears.

"So you're the kid the guards are having trouble finding," she mused, fingering his ear. The boy felt his face heat up, why, he's not sure.

Now, most boys his age would've fallen for girls, especially hot ones. But since he never really met one without Brock being here, he's not sure how to react.

Ciel, however, does not find this amusing. "Hey, who the hell do you think you are?" She demanded, dropping down from where she hid, getting into a defensive stance in case this woman does something.

The woman merely gave the younger girl a bored look. "If you want to know who I am, should you first introduce yourself?"

That only pissed off the girl some more, indicated by the growl she made.

"H-Hey! Calm down Ciel! This woman isn't our enemy!" He blurted out, trying to calm his friend. Realizing what he said, he covered his mouth, just as the two females gave him a look.

"And how do you know that? Is it because of this woman's figure or something?"

"No! Nothing like that! It's… It's a feeling I'm getting," he tried to explain, "Like what I feel around you Ciel!" At their silence, he quickly added, "I'll explain later, alright?"

During that time, Pikachu took that moment to get out of his hiding spot, landing lightly on the table, unnoticed by the three humans.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" The woman asked, placing a hand on her hip, looking over the two.

"And _why_, Precursors forbid, should we tell you _that_?" The Wastelander demanded, suspicious of the woman.

"Then I have every right to put the two of you in prison," the red head responded, "I _am_ a Commander of the Krimzon Guard after all."

"_You're_ the Commander?" Both of the young teens exclaimed, surprised by what they heard. This woman… _she's_ the second Commander?

"You two seemed surprised," the woman noted, seeing their shocked looks.

"Uh… It's… kinda unexpected," Ciel said, still a bit dumbfounded.

Ash, deciding that he should tell this woman the truth, chooses that time to speak. "We were doing something for a guy named Torn, so that we can become members of the Underground."

The woman looked over at short eared boy. "Torn?" At his nod, she bowed her head in thought. Everything in the room is silent. Then she said, "I see."

"Huh?" The boy let out as the woman walked past him, towards the wall at the other end of the armory. He looked at Ciel, who just shrugged, also confused by her behavior. The woman turned to them and made a gesture for the two to follow her.

Reluctantly (on Ciel's part), they both made to follow her, Ash grabbing the bag filled with guns while still holding onto the Morph-Gun. Pikachu silently followed his Trainer, looking over the three humans. Finally, the woman reached the wall, which has the insignia of the Krimzon Guard carved from some unknown material. She placed a hand over the symbol-

And poked its eyes out. When she did so, the face was suddenly split in half- in fact, the wall did too, revealing some sort of passage. "There, use this to get out of the fortress, and back to the Slums," she told them.

"What?" Ciel looked over the woman in surprise. "Why are you helping us out? Aren't you the Commander of the KG?"

"Yes," the woman nodded, "But just because I am one doesn't mean that I use brutality to keep things in order." She looked over the two again. "With Baron Praxis and Errol after you two, it's best that you should lie low until it dies down a bit. Being with the Underground should do that, but make sure you aren't seen by the guards." She looked back at the passage, adding, "Until then, tell Torn that the Baron is using some unfortunate prisoner for some experiment; whatever it is, they're using Dark Eco for it."

"Well… alright then," the boy nodded, "Thanks for the advice and stuff." The three of them began to go into the passage, until the boy stopped. "By the way, back there, you sounded as if you knew Torn. Were the two of you friends or something?"

The woman looked away. "… You could say that…"

"Well… okay then. I'm Ash, what about you?"

The woman looked at the boy. "Ashelin," was her response. The two of them heard something outside the room. "Hurry, before anyone sees you here."

"Right, thanks again Ashelin." Then the boy finally went into the passage. Ashelin moved away from the hole; as soon as she did that, the doors leading into the passage closed behind her, the KG symbol's eyes returning to normal. She put the lock back onto the case, making it look like no one has gone into it at all.

She moved away from the case-

Just as a couple of guards walked in. "Commander Ashelin!" One of them spoke up, surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on something," she stated, walking past them. "Continue your patrol."

"Yes ma'am!" They saluted as she walked out of the room. As she walked down the hall, she momentarily paused. Then looked up at the ceiling.

'_Be careful you two, especially you Ash,'_ she thought, silently praying for the two young people, before she resumed walking.

* * *

><p><strong>The Slums; 1410 hours<strong>

Torn had an incredibly surprised look on his face.

Tess looked smug at the man next to her.

Pikachu looked pretty dang proud.

Ciel and Ash held up their prizes proudly, grinning. "Will you let us into the Underground now?" The former asked.

The older male looked over the two teens, then at the Pokémon, and at the older female. And sighed. "Yeah, I guess you guys are in," he said, putting his hand onto his hip.

"YES!" The two of them high-fived each other as Pikachu cheered.

"However," the man added, getting their attention, "just because you're in doesn't mean that it'll be easy from here on out. There will be _explosions_, _deadly escort missions_, _recon_, and _**death**_! So if you don't have enough stones to do it, then you should back out."

Everything went silent at this. Then:

"Well, that's fine," Ash said, shrugging, "Me and Pikachu went through a lot of stuff like this before."

Torn, for the first time in his 28 years of life, comically face-faulted. _'Doesn't __**anything**__ faze this guy?'_

_A few minutes later in the hideout…_

"Alright," the older man sighed, rubbing his head, "Since you three are now a part of our group, I'll inform the Shadow. In the meantime, give them the tour of the place, Tess."

"Okay Torn," the blonde nodded, as Torn walked off towards a door at the other end. Once the auburn haired man is gone, she turned to the trio. "Alright, you three, shall we get started on our tour of the Underground hideout?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded as Ciel looked around.

'_Well, I guess the name __**is**__ fitting, all things considered,'_ she mused to herself.

"Alright, now please follow me," at that, the duo (Pikachu is on Ash's shoulder at the time), followed the blonde towards the table at the center of the room, that has a lamp swinging just a few feet above it. "Well, this is our meeting room. As you can see, we hold our meetings here to discuss our plan of action." They went over towards a door at the lower right side of the table and opened the door revealing a bunch of bunk beds at the sides of the room. "This room is where our members sleep at during the night; and since you guys are now part of us, this is your room, too. Beyond this room is the laundry room." She closed the door and led them towards the door at the upper right side of the table, next to a pipe of sorts. "In here is the bathroom."

"Is someone currently using it?" Ciel asked, hearing a faint sound of running water.

"Yeah," Tess confirmed, "We don't want to disturb their privacy, do we?" No one said anything at that and continued the tour, coming towards the door that Torn had entered into early. "This is our leader's room. No one else but Torn can enter here, unless you're worthy enough to do so." They walked toward the upper left side of the room, pass a metal fireplace. "This is where the kitchen/dining room is. You can already tell what it's for." Finally, she led them towards the lower left side. At first, she didn't say anything for a bit. Finally: "Now here. This is my workshop. I design most of the weaponry the Underground members use."

"Wow…" The two of them said in awe.

The Weapon Designer looked at them with a smile. "Well, that's the tour," she announced, "If you have any questions, go ahead and ask them."

"Uh…"

"They don't," Torn's voice was heard, and they turned towards the source, seeing the auburn man walking up to them, "Since you three are now part of the fight against the Baron, you have to pull your own weight around this place. There will be times where we send you to missions, and other times, do a bit of errands. Since we have a bit more mouths to feed, you," he pointed at Ciel, "will gather food and other essentials we might need. You seem to be the type to do so."

"What?" Torn ignored her though, turning to the outsiders.

"As for you guys, I think I have a job suiting for you." Both the Trainer and Pokemon blinked.

The next thing the two of them knew, they were doing the dishes at the kitchen part of the hideout. Well, Ash was mostly washing them as Pikachu tried to dry them.

"Oh well, I guess this is the kind of thing we have to do during our stay here," he said to his Pokémon. "We've got a long road ahead of us, so let's do our best, shall we?"

"(Oh yeah!)" The Mouse Pokémon nodded. Ash gave his friend a nod, too, before they resumed their task.

_That night…_

"Ah man…" the boy sighed, lying on his bed, exhausted, "Finally done…"

"You think you're the one tired after all of this?" Ciel rhetorically asked, in the upper bunk bed.

Well, frankly, he really doesn't blame her; on the other hand, though, it sure was one _hell_ of a day. The three of them are now glad that the day is over with. The boy didn't bother to take off his vest and pants, but he did take off his shoes (his gloves were taken off when he did the dishes). Ciel took off her bags, along with her jacket, boots and gloves.

During the time they had stayed, Ash and Ciel informed Torn of what happened during their mission; though when they mentioned Ashelin, the man seemed intrigued, but that was it. After dinner, though, Ash was unfortunate to do some more dishes.

"Well, at least we got through the hard parts," Ash tried to enlighten them.

"Hm, yeah," the girl moved her hands behind her head, "But remember what Torn said? We all have to pull our own weight around here if we're going to stay here."

The black haired boy let out a small grunt, agreeing with her. "Say Ciel, what's your home like? Y'know, the place you grew up at?"

At that, Ciel went silent. Slowly, she began:

"Well… it's a large city that's out by the desert. A lot of huge Metal Heads roam out in the desert, but the city has plenty of water, and right next to the ocean." The boy and Pokémon silently listened. "Not only that, but it's a place where people go to when they were banished from this city; the Baron figured that dying from the desert heat or being killed by the Metal Heads would be a fitting punishment for those people."

"Wow…" Ash let out, probably in shock.

"The place, however, is a bit tough on the citizens, since survival and strength is important. Yet, despite all of that, it's not so bad."

"I see," the boy let out, in contemplation. After a moment of silence, he asked, "So why did you come to this city?"

The girl didn't say anything again for a minute. The boy thought that she might've fallen asleep when she replied: "I'm searching for someone. And I wanted to prove that I can handle myself in this place, without his help. Now, c'mon guys, let's just go to sleep. We've got a lot of stuff to do tomorrow." With that, she turned to her side and covered herself with a blanket.

Though Ash had a feeling that it's a rather touchy subject. "Well… alright then. Night Ciel, Pikachu."

"(Night,)" Pikachu placed himself at Ash's side, as the boy pulled the cover over him. The mouse Pokémon went to sleep in a matter of minutes, Ciel following suit.

But not Ash.

Even though he's tired, he's got a lot on his mind. He looked over at the Morph-Gun propped up against his side of the bed; he held onto the gun since the whole time, only putting it down when he did the dishes and was eating. He then looked up at the ceiling. He thought about that odd voice he had heard earlier. That voice sounded like… he was in distress. As if he was suffering.

Yet… where is he? Where could he find that person?

Well… he won't be able to find out know, but… he could try to at least try to reassure him. With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes.

"_Hey, don't worry. I'll try to get you out of your misery; until I can find where you are located, hang in there, will ya? I promise that I'll get you out of there. Count on it." _

Somehow, he felt that this person had gotten his message. Feeling better with himself, he drifted off to sleep, getting some rest since he'll be needing it for tomorrow.

A few minutes after he did, the door to the bedroom opened up slightly. Someone silently walked into the room, towards the bed where the young adolescents and animal are sleeping. Finally, they got near the side Ash is sleeping at, looking over him.

'_Hm… so this is the source of the strange energy I felt earlier…'_ The person – a man that seemed older than Torn – thought to himself. His Second-in Command wasn't kidding when he said that the boy looked strange, along with the small creature sleeping next to him.

From what the plants and the trees are telling him, this boy and his little friend might help them win this war…

With a small smile, he turned and silently walked out of the room, getting some shut eye himself.

* * *

><p><em>A bit earlier ago, at the KG Fortress Prison Block… <em>

Bitter coldness…

That was all he felt when he came to.

With a groan, he slowly, slowly pushed himself up. His arms quivered before they gave out. Right there, he decided that it was best that he should lay there for a bit until his strength came back.

Nearly two years… it's been that long?

It felt like forever since he came to this awful- no, _horrible_ place!

Nearly two years of torture. Nearly two years of Dark Eco injections. Nearly two years since he was separated from the three people he had known all of his life.

…And nearly two years since they came through that strange ring they found at the top of Gol and Maia's citadel. That, and that strange vehicle as well.

How the hell did those two have those things up there? To add this up, they looked… eerily familiar. As if he saw them before.

Including that strange monster that popped out of the ring – a 'Rift Gate' is what he called it, right? – after those strange flying monsters appeared.

All of this confused him to no end…

Finally, he felt his strength coming back. Although it was small, but it was enough to at least pick himself up.

Slowly, he pushed himself up again, this time, propping his elbows to hold him steady. He slowly began to rise to his feet. He stumbled a bit, but caught himself before he could fall over. He panted, sitting down onto the crude bed that came with his cell. He sighed. _'How much more could I take? I don't think I can handle more Dark Eco pumped into me…'_

He drew his legs in, holding them to his chest. He was about to fall into a dreamless sleep (hopefully, because most of his dreams are rather hellish) once more-

"_Hey, don't worry,"_ until a strange voice - it sounded like a male, though the voice is a bit high pitched - spoke into his head. As he looked around for the source, it continued,_ "I'll try to get you out of your misery; until I can find where you are located, hang in there, will ya? I promise that I'll get you out of there. Count on it." _

Although most people would put that as a sign of them going insane – which most of the other prisoners were unfortunate to be – for some reason he felt… assured. He didn't recognize the voice, and yet…

It filled him with hope.

Hope that he'll get out of this hellhole, and back to his friends.

Without knowing it, he smiled. He caught himself, looking and feeling very surprised. He made a smile again. "Funny…" He muttered, his voice husky and deep, "I've… I've nearly forgotten how to smile."

He looked up at the ceiling, smiling again in what felt like… forever. _'Thank you…' _He mentally said to whoever had given him the message.

He laid on the bed, sleep taking him in its sweet embrace. _'I'll try to hang in there…'_ Was his last thoughts until he lost sense of reality.

And instead of dreaming hellish nightmares, or the usual dreamless nights, he dreamed of the time that everything was simple, and good.

…Where he and his friends were just having ordinary lives until it changed forever.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>...IT'S NOW OVER NINE THOU~SA~ND! Sorry, had to do that! X3 But seriously, this chapter has over nine thousand words! To be frank, I'm surprised that I've typed that much… But I digress.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** Wanting to know more about the gun he obtained, Ash decided to head over to the Port area of the city. …Unfortunately, he ended up making a deal with a smuggler, doing some tasks for him in exchange for gun training. And after that, he finds a mysterious teacher that'll help him with harnessing his Aura. What exactly is this mysterious being? And how did it know about Aura? ****Find out in the next chapter of:**_** Aura Renegade!**_

**(Trivia: For those that have played Jak II, the part of the Fortress where the trio entered is original. I expanded the Underground base, since there HAS to be a lot more members in the Underground. And that a certain main protagonist is never really mute here; at least, that's what I think.)**

**Review please!**


	4. Chapter 3

…**I'm now addicted to 'Alejandro' and 'Judas' by Lady Gaga. What can I say? They're quite catchy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing; except my OCs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Smuggle in some Training<strong>

The sun rose over the city of Haven. Signaling a new day for its inhabitants.

However, within the KG Fortress, Errol decided to check around the area where he felt that he was being watched. The same place where Ash and Pikachu previously were yesterday.

The KG Commander looked over the thick metal grating, at least trying to find a clue that there was someone who was spying on him that time. Yet it didn't seem like there's anything here. The orange haired man gritted his teeth in frustration.

He began to turn, taking his leave-

When something caught his eye. Something black.

Curious, he stooped down a bit to get a closer look. The thing he found seemed to be a few strands of what looked like black hair, tangled around a screw. Though as far as he can tell, no other guards or workers have black hair.

Plucking them from where they were, he looked over them, twirling them between his fingers. As he did so, a smirk began to form.

But not a friendly one. No sir.

A kind of smirk that's filled with malicious intent…

* * *

><p><strong>Underground Base; 0615 hours<strong>

The members of the Underground are sound asleep on their beds. None could be awaken no matter how much most of the members snore.

One of them being Ash.

Unfortunately, that blissful sleep is about to end.

Those that have been here longer, knew that they have to get up _really_ early. At around 5 A.M., they would wake up and start their day early.

Since Ciel was used to getting up extremely early, she was up at 6 A.M.; at first she didn't recognize her surroundings, but after morning amnesia wears off, she remembered yesterday's events. She looked down at the two boys she rescued, still sleeping. It's amazing that someone could sleep next to someone who snores loudly. She rubbed her chin in thought. If Ash is going to stay here, then he needed to blend in better. Nodding to herself, she got off of her bed, took her stuff, and left the room.

Although it didn't rouse Ash from his sleep, it awoke Pikachu. "(Huh?)" He let out, blinking open his eyes. He got up from the bed, stretching and yawning. Afterwards, he looked around the room, noticing that it's not familiar. As he started to panic, he remembered what happened yesterday and deflated a bit.

The Pokémon brought his head up and watched the girl leave through the room. He glanced at his human friend, who is still snoozing away; he decided that it's best to let him sleep some more and left the room as well.

It's now 7 A.M, and the boy is STILL asleep. He shifted a bit in his sleep, where his pillow is now by his feet and some of the blanket is crumbled to the floor. The door to the bedroom opened again, only this time, it was Torn. When he noticed the raven haired boy still asleep, he frowned in disapproval. But then smirked evilly. Strolling over to the boy's side, he stood above him.

He grabbed the boy's blanket. "**WAKE THE HELL UP!**" He thundered, yanking it off of it.

It worked, since the raven haired boy screamed, flailing in panic before he toppled to the ground in a heap. Lying in a heap on the floor, the Trainer groaned a bit in pain.

"'Bout time you got up," Torn's voice got the boy's attention, getting the latter to look up at the former, who crossed his arms at him.

Ash merely blinked sleepily until he remembered what happened yesterday. "Uh… morning?"

The auburn haired man sighed, rolling his eyes. "Get up and get ready, you've got work to do," he told the boy, walking out of the room. The boy blinked again.

_A few minutes later…_

The raven haired boy yawned loudly, still a bit sleeping, yet he's sitting at the table in the dining room. Someone placed a bowl filled with what looked like fruit onto the table, and sat down next to him. When he looked towards the source, he saw Tess, smiling warmly at him. "Good morning Sleepy-head," she said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah… And good morning Tess," he said, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He looked at the bowl, looking over the suppose fruit there. "…Is this edible?"

"Of course," she nodded, and offered the bowl to him. "Here."

Ash took one of the fruit without hesitation and bit into it. And blinked.

'_Hey, it tastes like an Oran Berry,'_ he thought, and resumed chewing. Gulping, he said to Tess, "Thanks!" He continued to eat the fruit, considered his breakfast, quickly finishing it off. He grabbed two more and proceeded to eat them until Pikachu jumped onto the table. "Morning Pikachu."

"(Morning,)" he greeted, taking one of the fruit and eating it, seeing Ash eating them as well.

As the boy took a couple more bites, he spoke with his mouth full, "Say Tess, have you seen where Ciel went?"

"I don't know," she answered, shrugging, "She left about an hour ago, saying that she has 'stuff to do'."

Ash looked thoughtful at this, taking another bite. _'I wonder what's up,'_ he thought, chewing thoroughly. Swallowing, he said, "Well, I guess it is her business. By the way, can you tell me about 'Eco'?"

The blonde female looked at him shocked. "What? How can-" She blinked, remembering, "Oh, I forgot that you aren't really around here. Pikachu included," She added, rubbing the Pokémon's head.

In case you are wondering, Ash explained to Tess and Torn about the situation he went through earlier before arriving: about his world, the Pokémon and the apparent differences it had against Haven City. To them, it sounded completely unbelievable, but he showed them his Pokédex; and the rest is history.

"Alright, since you ask," Tess got up from her seat and went to her workshop. Ash and Pikachu glanced at each other for a moment, confused, before looking back at the door. Not too soon too, because the female emerged from the room, having a few markers in her hand and a medium sized poster board in the other. Setting them down, she explained, "I figured that it'll be easier to explain using these."

"Alright," the boy nodded.

"Now," she began, "Eco is the life-force in our world, and has been for as long as anyone could remember. Some say that the Precursors, who have an ability to channel this power, used it to give our world life, and create it. Now Eco," she took out a green marker and uncapped it, "come in six different types. The first," she drew a green leaf, "is Green Eco. It contains the power of healing, and growing things, like everything in nature." She capped the green marker, taking out a blue marker. "The second is Blue Eco," she drew a blue lightning bolt, "It contains the energy of motion; basically it makes the user go faster. Third is Red Eco," she drew a red fire, after putting up the blue marker then capped the red one, "It increases the user's strength; in other words, it could help you take down a more powerful enemy in a single blow."

"Woah…" The boy uttered in awe, as the female took out a yellow marker.

"The last of the common Eco is Yellow Eco," she drew a yellow ball with a tail, "It's used for long-range attacks. Pretty good at taking out enemies at a distance. Back then, all four of these Eco sources are plentiful, but as the years went by, they started to become scarce…"

"I see…" The boy muttered, looking over the four drawings. Then he remembered something. "Oh yeah, what about the last two? Dark Eco is one of them, right?"

Tess nodded grimly. "That's right," she uncapped a violet marker and drew a violet ball with curved lines around it, like it's a void, "Dark Eco is most dangerous of all. It has the power to warp and mutate anyone unfortunate to touch it; and those trying to control this stuff would only be driven mad. Back then, I heard that two Sages were driven made by this stuff, and tried to cover the world in it; however, they say that someone stopped it from happening."

"Woah…" The female nodded at him, capping the violet marker and took out a light gray one.

"The final one is the rarest of all Eco: Light Eco," she drew a light gray four pointed star, capping the marker afterwards, "No one has ever seen Light Eco before, but it can be artificially created by combining Green, Blue, Red, and Yellow Eco together. Back then, this Eco is mainly used by the Precursors. Since it is so rare, no one really knows what this Eco could do."

She looked at the two boys, smiling teasingly. "Well class, that's the end of this lesson," she teased, "Now if you have any questions, go ahead and ask."

"Okay," the boy nodded, then rubbed his chin a bit. "Hm…" Then he remembered something. "Say Tess, I heard Ciel mention this before, and during this lesson, but, who or what exactly is a 'Precursor'?"

"Well, like your Legendary Pokémon, Precursors are the deities of our world," she explained, "They're large, humanoid looking with large eyes and has anteater-like noses; at least, that's what the myth says."

The two outsiders blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, no one really knows what happened to the Precursors, because they disappeared a long time ago. The reason why is still, to this day, a mystery."

The raven haired boy crossed his arms, humming a bit in thought. "That's a bummer," he said, "I wish I could've met them."

"Hey, don't worry," she told him, patting him a little, "I'm sure that, one day, you will."

When Ash grinned at her, Pikachu suddenly had a very strange feeling that one day, they will soon. Yet the Mouse Pokémon shrugged it off.

At that moment, Ciel bounded into the room, having a bag over her shoulder. "I'm back!" She announced, holding up her prize.

"Welcome back, Ciel," the Trainer greeted the girl; the latter taking notice of the former.

"Well, nice to see you awake now, mister Ketchum," she smirked a little. "But anyways, I've got you something to maybe help you blend in better in this city." She held it up for the three to see.

"Uh…"

"Now go in another room and change mister!" She shoved the bag into Ash's arms, made him stand up and pushed him a bit to get him moving.

"Okay, okay! You don't have to rush me y'know…" The boy reluctantly complied, leaving the room.

As soon as he did, Tess turned to look at the younger female. "Where did you get those anyway?"

"Oh, you know me," the pink/red head shrugged, sticking her tongue out a bit.

Pikachu gave her a bored look. "(You mean you stole them?)" He was earned a small conk on the head by Ciel, who, strangely, had a frying pan in her hand.

A few minutes later, Ash emerged back into the dining room. "So how do I look?"

The four occupants (Torn went in there a bit ago) looked over the boy. Ash is now wearing a white t-shirt (that looked similar to Ash's previous one) with a black denim vest with a shot-out collar and a couple of pockets at the chest over it. He wore a pair of brown fingerless gloves that has some sort of material around the forearms. He wore a pair of dark gray pants held up by a brown belt that somewhat resembled the belt he worn during his first adventure, and the hem of his shirt is tucked into his pants; the bottom of his pants are also tucked into a pair of black boots held by straps with gray buckles and soles. The boy is also carrying the Morph-Gun he has, trying to look a bit casual with them.

The auburn haired male crossed his arms. "Well, at least you fit in a little better. But not much."

"I don't know…" Ciel trailed off, tapping her chin a bit. "Something… feels missing…" As she thought about it, an idea popped into her head. "I've got it!" She snapped her fingers, then promptly left the room.

"Huh?" The boy let out, then heard the girl's footsteps as she rushes back to them and shoved something over Ash's head. "Ow! Hey!"

'There! Perfect!" She nodded at what she just added, which is a red helmet that has a black visor lens. At around the center, curiously, are some markings that somewhat resembled 13.

"Well, at least it covered his ears," Tess tried to enlighten, as the boy knocked on 'his' new helmet. The older male merely grunted.

"Alright, if you ladies are done," he stated, getting a glare from Pikachu, "We should discuss about our plans with the Baron. From what the two of you reported yesterday, it's best to figure out what he's going to do after the Dark Warrior Program – IF they succeed that is."

"But for now, you," he pointed at Ash, "needed some training for the battles that are surely to come in the future. Remember what I told you yesterday?" At Ash's nod, the man continued, "You should learn to not only use a gun, but also some combat skills, because you can't rely on your little pet forever."

"(Hey! I ain't a pet!)" Pikachu protested, looking outraged, yet Torn ignored him.

"There is a gun training course at the port," he told him, digging into his pocket and pulled out something, "However, you must at least find a proper teacher to train you to use that Morph-Gun."

"Hey, how come Ash get's to use it?" Ciel demanded, crossing her arms.

"He's the first to find it," he replied in a short tone of voice. "Here," he tossed the object at Ash, who was quick to catch it. He looked at the object, which is a small, square, metal red chip. "Use this security pass to get to the port at South Town. And at least TRY not to get into too much trouble."

"Say, where did you…?"

"As for you," the man cut off the young girl, "your job for today is to investigate a disturbance at the Pumping Station. We believe a bunch of Metal Heads are messing around with the water system, but to be sure, we need you to go and check it out." He places a pistol onto the table and slides it her way. "You'll be needing this while you're there."

Ciel picked up the pistol, giving it an incredulous look before sighing. "Oh well, nothing comes easy no matter where you're at," she muttered to herself.

Ash glanced at the pink/red haired girl then at the others. "Alright then, I guess we're off. See you guys later!" He waved them bye and he picked up the Morph-Gun and walked out of the dining room, Pikachu following him. As he got into the meeting room, he picked up the bag from yesterday. Then suddenly paused. He looked at the gun in his right hand, and then the bag in the other. Looking over his gun again, he hummed in thought. It looked small enough to fit in there…

"Hey Pikachu, do you think you can hold onto the Morph-Gun in the bag?" The Pokémon looked at the boy, at the gun, at the bag and back at the gun again. He had a feeling of what his Trainer had in mind, though…

"(Alright Ash,)" he nodded, crossing his arms. "(I'll try to bare this, but that's only because I needed some cover.)"

The raven haired boy smiled. "Thanks Pikachu." The Mouse Pokémon nodded and got into the bag, as the boy placed the gun into the bag as well. He started towards the entrance of the hideout, the automatic doors opening up and he ascended the stairs. Another door of sorts opened up as he got near and he stepped out into the morning air. He looked back as the secret door to the Underground closed behind him. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the communicator, turning on the map and expanded it, showing him the location of the port. Although he couldn't find where the gun course is at, he did find an icon of what looked like a wine glass there. "Well, let's get started on our way to the port Pikachu. We'll try to find the gun course there while we're at it."

"(Alright,)" the Pokémon piped up as the boy pocketed it, and began his trek towards South Town.

* * *

><p><strong>Industrial Zone; 0955 hours<strong>

"Aw man… this would've been easier if we had someone else holding the map…" Ash muttered, scratching the back of his neck. In the bag, Pikachu face-palmed himself once again.

And why wouldn't he, since, after two hours (nearly three) they have gotten lost as they explored the city. They now found themselves in what the GPS had called it 'Industrial Zone', looking up at the walkways above them, along with the Zoomers in different varieties. The boy checked the map again, and saw that they're in the middle of the area…

…And the port is still a long ways to go. He sighed and resumed walking. But at the rate he was going, he won't be able to reach the port until around midmorning or something.

They both knew that. Yet the boy was reluctant to use a Zoomer himself, since he had never drove a car before; that hovercraft Zero used back at Sinnoh didn't count. The second reason was because of what happened yesterday…

"(Hey Ash, why don't you try to use a Zoomer for a change?)" Pikachu asked, poking his head out of the bag and pointed toward a yellow/blue-colored light-single Zoomer, nearer to the wall and away from traffic and pedestrians.

The boy looked over towards where Pikachu was pointing and did a small take. "No way Pikachu! I'm not getting on one of those things!"

"(But Ash, we probably might need to ride these things in the future,)" the electric-type pointed out, "(Besides, it was only one time with Ciel; and you're kinda in the driving age, aren't you?)"

Ash picked up the Pokémon's reasoning, and something about his age. "I may be sixteen, but I've never driven a car before," he argued back.

"(That may be so, but starting now hadn't hurt anyone, has it?)" The black haired boy frowned, sensing his friend argue back.

As he looked over towards the Zoomer, he had to admit, Pikachu did make a valid point. There may be points in time that they'll be forced to use Zoomers; for what, he doesn't know yet. After a moment, he sighed in defeat. "Alright Pikachu, you win…" He said, going over to it. He looked over it, trying to figure out how to turn the thing on, as well as figure out on how to get on it. He scampered onto it, nearly falling off of it a couple of times, before he managed to get onto it.

"Okay… how do I turn this on…?" He asked himself, looking over the controls. There wasn't a button, or a key slot on it, and he doesn't know how to hot wire the thing like Ciel. As he held onto the handlebars, looking over it, he didn't notice a couple of small cyan blue sparks, like ones from yesterday, traveled along the metal on the handle bars, and into the vehicle itself.

When they did, the puffs of smoke popped out of the exhausts as the Zoomer suddenly came to life; once more surprising the boy and (the first) his Pokémon. "Again…?" He asked himself, looking over the Zoomer in confusion.

"(What do you mean? Did it happen before?)" Ash picked up the question, and was about to answer when he heard beeping from his pocket. He dug into it and pulled out his communicator, the screen having gone blank all of a sudden.

"_Welcome to the city transportation system," _an automated female voice greeted them, making the duo blink. This didn't happen before… _"You can hover in two zones: low and high." _A red arrow appeared on the screen, pointing at something. When the boy looked in the direction it indicated, he saw a lever, like on the Zoomer Ciel had driven in before. _"Try switching hover zones."_

The duo looked at each other, then the boy lifted the lever. The two let out surprised grunts as the Zoomer very quickly ascended to the level that the other Zoomers were slowly flying at. _"Switching hover zones my help you avoid traffic and ground obstacles,"_ it added as the boys tried to regain themselves, then the communicator went silent.

"Thanks for the tip…" He groaned, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He then suddenly noticed a compartment on the Zoomer, which looked like his communicator could fit into. He glanced at it the metal device then at the compartment; he then placed the device onto the compartment. Once he did, the screen came to life once more and displayed the map again, showing the small zoomed out version of the area he was in.

"Cool! I didn't know it could do that!" The boy said, fascinated by the phenomena.

"(Kinda convenient if you ask me,)" the Pokémon pointed out. The boy shrugged, and looked over the handlebars again.

"Okay… It's… kinda like riding a bike back home," he said to himself, flexing his fingers as he tried to relax himself. "You can do this…" Ash kept prep talking to himself, he accidentally moved the bars backwards-

And suddenly went reverse. "WAH!" He and Pikachu cried out, smacking into the wall.

"I'm okay!" The boy exclaimed. To who, no one really knows. But from what happened, he did have an idea of what the bars are for. If moving them back made them go backwards…

He moved the bars forward, but only slightly. When he did, the Zoomer went forward. Slowly. "Ah," he let out, satisfied when he figured it out. Nodding to himself, he said to Pikachu, "Okay, hang on Pikachu!" He moved the bars forward some more and the Zoomer picked up speed.

With their map, Ash carefully maneuvered around the Industrial Zone. Although he crashed into walls sometimes, and even into a couple of other Zoomers, the raven haired boy managed to get a hang of handling the thing. Well… only a bit.

But it was enough to not land them into trouble.

Finally, at around 10:15, they made it to the port area of the city. The ground below them turned to gray stone, the street now much wider and clearer. The duo came to the semicircular port over the large expanse of water. As the boys looked over the place in awe, they remembered that they gotta find the gun course. Flying towards the section where they won't get in the way of traffic, Ash looked over the map, zooming it out a bit more until it showed the whole city.

However, the only things that are on there are the icons for the Underground base, the KG Fortress, and that place where the blue wine glass is at. Nothing else on the locations of the gun course. Ash decided to zoom it on the icon of the wine glass; and, apparently, it seemed to be near their location.

"Well, Pikachu, I guess we have to go to this place, because I can't find the gun course anywhere," he told his friend, taking out the communicator and pocketing it.

"(You're kidding right?)" The Pokémon's words fell on deaf ears as he began accelerating towards the location. He decided to switch to the low zone (once again crying out in surprise when it quickly descended down) to avoid traffic.

'_Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this…'_ The boy mused to himself, grinning a bit. As he continued to go fast he spotted their destination. It appeared to be a large neon sign with what appears to be a creature that kinda resembles a hippo (or a Hippopotas to the duo) on top of it. Ash looked at the place, then at the map. Apparently, this place is the place they were looking for. Groaning to himself a bit, he switched to the high zone and continued along towards the place. However, as he got close to his destination, one key factor popped into his mind. Something very important.

"Hey! How do you stop this thing?" He cried out, suddenly filled with horror.

"(What?)" Pikachu shrieked in horror. As the two panicked, trying to figure out how to stop the thing as they got nearer to the place, the rave haired Trainer remembered that moving the bars backwards are reverse. If that's true, then…

He quickly pulled them, successfully getting it to stop. However, there is one key factor that Ash had also forgotten.

If you were on a speeding vehicle and not wearing a safety belt and crashed into something (or stopped all of a sudden), you'll find yourself launching off of your seat, like a catapult. And since Ash was speeding rather fast on the Zoomer and quickly used the brakes…

He found himself launched off of the Zoomer, flying at a dangerous speed towards the wall (screaming along the way)-

And smacked right into it, Pikachu as well.

The Zoomer they were riding on slowly floated down to the lower zone, above the water and quietly tapped against the wall along the water.

The boy slid off of the wall and fell down onto the ground, grunting in pain a bit, along with Pikachu. Once the boy regained himself, he propped himself up with his elbow and sat up. He shook his head lightly, to clear the cobwebs. "Y'know," he suddenly spoke to Pikachu, "They really should put on some more safety features on those things."

Pikachu merely shrugged. "(I'm not the one who came up with these things,)" he said, Ash pushing himself up to stand. His legs wobbled a bit, so he used the wall he crashed into as support. As he did so, Pikachu decided to quickly check on the gun. To his relief, the gun is alright. The thing is pretty resilient to withstand the crash.

Once the black haired boy regained himself, he looked around a bit and spotted the neon sign and robotic hippo-like thing a couple of feet away. He pushed himself away from the wall, stumbling a bit but he steeled himself and slowly walked to the place, so that his legs can be adjusted.

Finally, the duo entered the place… and couldn't help but stare.

And why wouldn't they, since it somewhat reminded them of a couple of cheap, seedy restaurant back at their own world. The place is square-shaped, and several tables dug into the walls on both sides. When the boy looked at the entrance of the place, there was some sort of arcade game, reminding him of the game 'Whack-a-Diglett'. At the center of the place is a makeshift area with a pole sticking up through the center. Finally, at the very back of the place is what looked like a bar.

"Uh… Pikachu, I think we're at a bar of sorts," the Trainer told his Pokémon, looking up at the ceiling, seeing some pictures of different people, yet a fat person stood out the most, along with what looked like trophies of various creatures he never saw before, and lots of neon lights. The lifeless eyes of these creatures unnerved him though, making him shrink back a little.

But he forced himself to calm down and looked around the place again, seeing that it's deserted. On the other hand, it **is** midmorning after all.

"On the other hand… no one's here Pikachu," he said, grinning at the electric-type.

Pikachu knew what that meant and crawled out of the bag, getting on the floor. "(Freedom!)" He cheered, making the brown eyed boy chuckle a bit. After the short mirth, the boy looked over towards the bar, seeing no one there at the moment. Still, if might be possible to find the bartender/barmaid there. He could try to ask someone for directions towards the gun course.

So with the idea in mind, he walked over the bar, Pikachu following him a bit. "Uh… hello?" He called out, as he got near, "Is anyone here? I wanted to know where I can find the gun course is at."

At first, no one answered. The Pokémon Trainer sighed, and turned away from the bar, to leave the place-

"Well… this is the first time I've seen someone young enter my bar, ey."

Until a new voice, that sounded… thick, and rough, but diffidently a man's voice, spoke up.

As they looked for the source, the voice continued, "But, I wonder: why would you want to go the gun course?"

"Hey, I, kinda needed the training," Ash nervously explained, "Torn told me to."

"Torn, ey?" Pikachu suddenly looked behind the raven haired boy and did a jump take, and backed up a few steps. Ash noticed the move and looked behind him-

He immediately wished he didn't. "Then that means you're part of the Underground, hmmm?" The man continued, not noticing Ash's eyes had gotten really wide along with his mouth.

The person he had just encountered is sitting on a hover-chair, and for good reason. The chair had been made with a rounded back and seat, and the man filled those curves and then some; that's because the man was _unbelievably_ fat. His body was nothing more than rolls and rolls of disgusting flesh, eating up his neck, plumping up his face, dragging his ears into a drooped position, and stretching his clothes obscenely. There are a few tubes connected to his back, and sides, and Ash could see a pair of incredibly thin, small legs dangling uselessly under him. He has a couple of rings on his chubby fingers, brown bands around his forearms and a gold bracelet coated with green gems around his right hand. The man has black/gray/blue eyebrows, his right eye looking blind while the other eye is brown. His pants looked like a big green tarp stretched around his ballooning lower body that was _still_ tearing it at the seams. Not only that, but the man looked absolutely greasy, staining his green shirt brown and making the light shine off his doughy skin.

The teenager took a few steps back from him, along with Pikachu. "Uh… you know the Underground?" He asked, rather slowly.

"Of course," the man grinned, showing a row of rotten, yellow teeth, making the Mouse Pokémon cringe in disgust, "I supply the group with 'special' needs." As he floated away, Ash fanned away the stench of the man's _horrible_ breath away from his face. "However, I don't believe I've met you before, ey." His breathing became labored and he used an orange/yellow fan (which Ash hadn't noticed before until now) to fan some air his way, and to cool him off a bit.

The teenage boy was hesitant to answer his question; he doesn't know why, but something seemed… fishy about him. However, he slowly answered:

"I-I'm Ash. I'm… a new recruit for the Underground."

The man looked intrigued. "Really? Well, well…" He floated near the boy again, looking him over. He suddenly caught sight of Pikachu, who was trying to hide behind the boy. "And what do we have here…? The Shadow's mascot of the month?"

Pikachu tried to look defiant, growling at the man, yet the latter merely chuckled. "Feisty too."

"O-Okay," Ash cut in nervously, "You know my name, so… what about yours?"

"Me?" The man made a mock hurt face, putting his chubby hand over his heart, "Why, I'm known to everyone around Haven City." He started to float around the boy and the Pokémon as he started, "The Underground, Baron Praxis-" This guy knew the Baron? "-and… some other clients of mine. But you may call me Krew, ey."

The two gave him a look. "Just Krew?"

"Yes," the obese man faced them, "and because of my… 'status', I know what is there to know in this city," he floated towards the bar, "Especially a boy with short ears and a strange mouse-like creature arriving here yesterday by a comet."

This surprised the two immensely. "You knew about us?"

"I did say I know _everything_ in this city, hmm?" At Krew's grin, Ash felt dumb forgetting about that… 'detail'.

"Oh…"

"Yet, what I want to know," he said, floating over to the boys again, "is how you managed to evade the Krimzon Guard to get to this point, ey."

"Well… we had help," the raven haired boy responded, looking sheepish, "We're only here to find the gun course and train with this." He pulled out the Morph-Gun from his bag, and continued, "Although… we pretty much don't know where it is; and it wasn't shown on the map."

"Is that so…?" Krew tapped his chin in thought. "Very well then, hand me your communicator," he held out his pudgy hand.

The boy gave the man a raised eyebrow, yet he wordlessly placed the device onto his hand. As soon as he did, Krew immediately floated away somewhere.

A moment went by, and the duo gave each other a confused look before looking back up at where Krew was. Another moment later, the fat man returned from some… unknown location with Ash's communicator in hand. "There, I've installed an upgrade for your map," he told them, waving the device.

"Really? Great, thanks!" The boy grinned, then held out his hand, "Can I have it back?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my boy," Krew turned away from the boy, fiddling with the communicator in his hand.

"What?" The juvenile exclaimed, outraged, along with Pikachu, "Why not?"

"You've heard of the phrase: 'Give and exchange' correct?" The man looked nonchalant, fanning himself a bit.

Ash raised a brow a bit. "…Yeah? What of it-" Then he figured it out. "…You upgraded the map for a reason, didn't you?"

"Clever boy," the obese man grinned, though for some reason, it unsettled the boy. "I have a few people working for me for… various 'jobs' I assign them, ey." He floated around the boy as he explained, "Such as any artifact or weapon worth having. Most of the time outside the city walls, where most of the 'good' stuff are at, ey." He looked at the boy with his working eye. "Sometimes, to get what you want, you have to give something else in return, _hmm_?"

Ash looked at Krew, feeling suspicious. _'So in other words, he's a smuggler?'_ He then asked, "So what is this 'thing' you want in return?"

"Why, I merely require… your services my boy," the (suppose) crime lord answered. "All you have to do is do a few jobs I might ask you to do, and in return, you can have all the gun training you need, and more."

Ash raised a brow. "More?"

"Now if I told you, that would spoil the surprise, hmm?" At the boy's silence, the smuggler turned away, "But, if you don't want to, I understand. I'll just take back the map upgrade, and you two can try to find the gun course on your own. So go ahead and choose." The man, with his face away from them, made a secret smirk.

The two let what Krew told them sink in, the teenager crossing his arms, closing his eyes, in thought while his Pokémon looked at him, worryingly. "(Ash…?)"

Ash, meanwhile, ignored everything in the world to think about his choice. He's not sure why but he felt something funny with Krew. The one time he had to agree with terms with criminals was back on his first adventure; and that time, he was desperate to get his next badge. And these criminals are, and still is, pushovers through the years; they almost succeed on their schemes (and did at some points), but he and his friends always came out on top. But that's another story for later.

Yet, he reminded himself that this world isn't like his world at all; his friends, along with his other Pokémon that are still at Prof. Oak's lab, aren't with him. The place is far more dangerous than his world, from what he already saw; and he felt that everything is going to be worse from here on out…

He sighed, releasing his arms. _'Somehow, I feel I'm going to regret this…' _He said in his mind.

Opening his eyes, he looked up at Krew and said, "Okay Krew, I'll… take the deal…"

"(WHAT?)" At Pikachu's cry of shock, the obese man's smirk grew bigger before turning to them, grinning at them.

"I knew you would come to your senses, my boy," he told him, floating down to their level and handed the small device to the boy. "Here is your communicator back, however," he added, as soon as the raven haired boy took it, "to fully seal the deal, go over to the gun course now to start your training. If you do good, you can come here anytime you want; if not, well…" He trailed off, though the Pokémon Trainer took the hint.

"Uh… alright then," the boy nodded, putting the Morph-Gun away. "C'mon Pikachu," he whispered to his Pokémon, making a gesture to come with him, which he did by quickly hiding in the bag once more. Ash gave one last look at Krew before heading towards the exit.

"Try not to get into too much trouble boys," the smuggler called after them, though they pretty much already left the building

As the brown eyed boy made his way towards the new location on his map, the icon resembling a scope reticule, Pikachu somewhat poked his head out of the bag. "(Ash, you sure you wanted to work for that guy? He gives me the creeps.)"

"I know," Ash nodded, sensing what Pikachu is (probably) saying, "But what other choice do we have? Besides, he felt… shady."

"(How so?)"

Before Ash could respond, he just passed by an old man wearing a blue robe, walking by with the aid of a wooden stick-

And instantly froze. He turned his head to look at the old man, who was busily walking away. For a few moments, he didn't move. Pikachu looked up at his friend, worryingly. "(Ash…?)"

The boy seemingly snapped out of it, blinking a bit. He gave the old man one final look before he slowly turned away, and resumed his trek. He couldn't help but think: _'I don't know why, but… something felt off with that guy…'_

Unknown to him and Pikachu, as soon as the former resumed walking, the old man himself paused and looked over his shoulder, at the back of the strange boy he had just passed. The man made the faintest of smiles.

Yet, somehow, it seemed… unnerving. "Interesting…" he muttered, stroking his long beard a bit. He merely turned back around and resumed his way.

_Later, at the Gun Course…_

"Is this the place?" Ash asked, looking around a bit. The place doesn't look much; there are a couple of what looked like bookcases at the walls of the square shaped room. At one side (around the corner) are a few red and white crates with the KG symbol on top. At two parts of the walls are a couple of mechanical doors are located.

"(Seems like it,)" Pikachu spoke up, getting out of the bag and scratched the back of his head.

As the two gazed around the silent room, something struck them odd. They don't have to voice out their thoughts, because they were both basically thinking the same thing:

What the heck is he supposed to do to actually learn how to use the Morph-Gun? Krew really didn't mention how he would learn to use it, but would it kill him to _at_ **least** tell them how.

As if to answer their question, Ash suddenly felt his communicator vibrate in his pocket. Surprised, the boy quickly fished it out; though he quickly looked over the device, trying to figure out how to use it.

Finally, he pressed a random button on it. "Uh… hello?" He tried out, to see if the call got through.

"_So you're the new boy Krew told me about, eh?"_ A deep, rough voice asked on the other end.

"Uh… yeah, I am."

"_Oh boy… Alright then, Krew informed me that he hired someone, and, apparently, they needed some training with the Morph-Gun. He gave me the number to his communicator, and from the way you answered, you're him."_

Ash blinked a bit. His communicator has a phone number to it? _'Huh… It's kinda like the Pokégear in a way,'_ he thought to himself, looking over the communicator again.

"_Okay, since you clearly don't have the experience for something like this, I'd like you to bring out your Morph-Gun."_ The boy immediately did so, putting down the bag as he does so. _"Good. Alright, since it's your first time, you should practice firing it first so you could get an idea of how to use it. After that, try to beat the gun course, lad."_

"Alright then," the boy nodded. Then something struck him as odd. "Hey, how can you tell that I've brought out my gun?"

"_There are a bunch of hidden cameras in this place. Now get to it boy!" _And the call was dropped.

The duo gave each other a look before the short eared human shrugged. "Okay, stand back Pikachu," he told him, "I don't want to accidentally shoot you."

"(Aye, aye sir!)" Pikachu saluted, before going over to the top of one of the bookcases.

Ash nodded, now focused on what he's going to do. He looked over the gun again, this time, trying to figure out how to use it. He quickly found the trigger, and, after giving it another look over, put it at the cradle of his right arm, a finger over the trigger and the other at the other part of the gun, that seems to be drawn back for… something.

The raven haired boy looked over at the crates, and took aim. Sticking out a bit of his tongue, he pulled the trigger-

_Bam!_ "WOAH!" He cried out, falling to his butt from the power of the gun recoil. Although the boy, along with Pikachu, saw some sort of a cone shaped red blast coming out of the gun that destroyed a few of the crates.

"_A bit dusty there, but not bad so far," _the guy from earlier commented. _"But keep working on it and you'll get the hang of the Scatter Gun mod."_

'Scatter Gun'? Is that what it's called? "Hey, how many mods are there for the Morph-Gun?" He forgot to ask Ciel about it…

"_There's four of them in all: the first is the Scatter Gun, which is the default mod for the Morph-Gun. The next three are the Blaster, Vulcan Fury, and the Peace Maker. Keep working hard, and you'll get not only them, but a few gun upgrades as well."_

"Huh," the boy let out, impressed. He pushed himself up, saying, "Thanks. I'll try to do my best, sir." He slid the visor over his eyes, holding up the Morph-Gun again, pulling the pump back to channel the ammo – or rather Red Eco, since he saw the color – into the barrel. And resumed practicing how to use the Scatter Gun mod.

* * *

><p><em>At the Industrial Zone…<em>

He sat on top of one of the buildings on this godforsaken city, looking out towards the sky.

He decided to take a break during his work as an exterminator, to take a moment to reflect, to remember all of the good times he had with his best friend…

...Who became prisoner to those strange guys the moment they got here.

Gripping his furry little hands, he recalled the moments that occurred.

Taking a little nap on that machine they had found. About to touch that strange orange device connected to said machine until Ol' Grandpa Green started to lecture him. Of those strange creatures – known to him as 'Metal Heads' after the near two years he spent here – flying in from that strange gate as soon as his friend pressed that button. Flying through a tunnel of violet light, him screaming his lungs out as they flew faster, and faster towards the light.

And the moment that a strong bolt of lightning struck the vehicle, making it explode and separated Grandpa Green and Keira from them as they somehow managed to stick together.

And… the moment he will never forget, no matter how hard he tried…

_-Flashback!-_

_The two of them were literally blasted out of the tunnel, bouncing painfully on the metal ground before they skidded to a painful stop. Once they regained themselves, they slowly pushed themselves off the ground and looked at the strange surroundings in front of them. The tall metal buildings, a gigantic tower in the distance held up by many support beams, and the people riding on floating cars and bikes…_

_Something told them that they aren't in Sandover anymore…_

_As his friend looked around a bit, he looked down at the part of the vehicle's handlebar he still held onto. Gritting his teeth in anger, he threw it away to the ground, the bar clanging loudly as he growled at it; along with getting his friend's attention._

"_Daxter…?" He asked, looking over his friend._

"_Okay," Daxter muttered, "I _swear_… that's the last time I ever – __**ever! **__– touch any stupid Precursor crap!" He crossed his arms snootily, after he said that._

_His taller friend just shrugged. "Well, it could be worse…"_

_At that moment, the duo heard the sound of many heavy footsteps approaching them. They quickly looked around before finding the source: a group of large, red-armored troopers bearing rifles were approaching them quickly and harshly. They're being led by a lean man wearing a yellow and black racer outfit with a bit of armor on his chest and a sinister looking mask is on top of his spiky orange hair. _

"_There he is," a slightly statical voice came from one of the other troopers; the man leading them flicked his fingers at them, making the same one say, "Move in."_

_Daxter gave his friend an evil eye. "You just __**had**__ to say it, didn't you?" Yet the latter couldn't say anything, as they were soon surrounded by these men._

"_Step away from the animal!" One of the troopers growled._

"_Woah, woah, hey, __**HEY!**__" Daxter suddenly spoke up, furious at the comment. "Who you callin' an animal huh? And what the hell is going on here? Who are you guys?"_

"_QUIET!" The leader snapped, kicking the poor Ottsel down._

"_Daxter-" His friend's breath was hitched in his throat, staring wide-eyed at the barrel of a rifle one of them was holding, pointing the thing at him menacingly._

"_No more sudden movements," the leader told him, "The Baron only wants the boy and the boy alone. That animal is expendable." _

_They both don't have an idea of what 'expendable' mean, but it doesn't sound too good. As Daxter gulped nervously, the boy's cobalt blue eyes looked over the men._

"_Now, put your hands on the ground, boy," the leader said, "Do so without any trouble, and then we'll be off."_

_As the Ottsel tried to push himself up, the young boy's eyes lit up with an idea. The latter nodded, before stooping down to his knees. _

_The leader smirked. "Good boy."_

_However, as soon as the Ottsel sat up, the boy suddenly grabbed him by the waist, quickly stood up with the surprised Ottsel still in hand (along with surprising the troopers and the leader)-_

_And chucked him into the air as hard as he could, the little orange animal screaming in panic. "RUN DAX!" Was the last thing he heard before, as the Ottsel looked back at his friend, one of the troopers used the butt of his rifle and hit him at the back of his head, knocking him down._

"_JAK!" Daxter exclaimed, before he caught himself at one of the metal poles sticking out of a building. Quickly standing on it, he looked back at where his friend is in horror, the fact of what just happened slowly dawning on him as the leader tried to restrain the guards from going after him. As his entire being shook, he quickly turned himself around, and hollered:_

"_Don't worry Jak! I'll save ya before you know it!" Cupping his mouth, he added, "I promise!"_

_He jumped off of the pole, and took off on all four of his limbs, running as fast as his little body could take him. A few tears formed at the corners of his eyes, a couple of them falling off to become crystal-like sparkles that existed in the air before fading away._

_Yet had he looked back, he could've seen a cruiser of sorts driving towards where Jak is._

_And that was the last time he saw him…_

_-End flashback!-_

He hadn't noticed, but during his flashback, a few tears had run down his furry cheeks. But he did, when he noticed that his vision was blurry. Quickly wiping them away, he took a few deep breaths to try to calm himself. He smacked both of his cheeks a couple of times and shook his head a bit.

"C'mon Dax… Pull yourself together!" He told himself, to try to encourage himself. Taking in another deep breath through his nose, he exhaled through his mouth.

After he did, he went over a few things in his head. As soon as he felt that he was safe from those jerks in red, who was known as the Krimzon Guard as he later learned, he began his search for his friend, trying to figure out where they had taken him. Minutes turned to hours, then days, weeks, months, and then years, and yet he still couldn't find him. Not even Keira and Samos…

Yet he refused to give up; sure he isn't as courageous as Jak, yet he would never abandon his friend, where he truly needed him. Although he's now working for the Kridder Ridder Extermination Company, he felt that maybe sticking around Osmo could led him closer to finding his friend.

Nodding, he clenched his fists and looked up at the near-noon sky. "Hang in there Jak… I'll find ya and bust you out of wherever you are. I swear it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon; 1135 hours<strong>

"So you two are the fresh meat Krew brought in, huh?" Both Ash and Pikachu stood straight, the two of them completely nervous.

And why wouldn't they, because they just found the source of the voice coming from their communicator.

The voice turned out to be a bulky man who looked to be around his late twenties with skin as dark as Ciel's, and the same emerald green eye as her's, yet the other eye had some sort of cybernetic eye over it. The two could see faint traces of red hair on his eyebrows, because the top of his head is covered by some sort of a helmet, yet there's also what looks like a mask over his head as well; it even goes around his ears as well. This man is obviously dressed for battle, since most of armor plates above his brown clothing, around his right forearm, and on his blue boots, around the front, is quite similar to the creatures the two had saw, hanging as trophies. He had pieces of light brown/tan clothes around his waist, being held up by a yellow sash, which has various pouches attached to it, with the two clothes extending almost 3/4th to his feet. Finally, they noticed a rifle of sorts that also has one of those creatures there at the business end.

"Uh… yeah," Ash hesitantly nodded. "I'm Ash. That's Pikachu," he added, gesturing to his Pokémon with his eyes before looking back at the man, "Who are you? Where did Krew went?"

A few minutes ago, the two of them had beaten the Scatter Gun training course, though barely. (How barely you ask? Put your thumb and forefinger into a pinching position and make sure there's a teeny-tiny bit of space between them. There's your answer.) Feeling a bit successful, they went back to the bar to tell Krew of their success… only to find this guy here and the obese man nowhere to be found.

"Name's Sig, kid," the man introduced himself, putting down his rifle. "As for where Krew went, he probably went to his personal quarters or something." He looked over Pikachu, raising a brow. "Huh. Krew wasn't kidding when he said a kid came in here with a strange creature." Without hesitation he stooped low and scratched Pikachu behind his head (which the Pokémon liked, quite well). "Doesn't seem like any creature I've seen."

"Well… me and Pikachu aren't really from around here," Ash explained, rubbing the back of his neck. _'In fact, we're not from this world at all,'_ he added in his head.

"Ah, it's probably not important," Sig stated, standing up straight, "By the way, you did good at the training course; however, you still got a long way to go to master the Morph-Gun, cherries."

'_Cheri?' _The two of them thought, picturing the small spicy berry from their world in their heads.

"But don't worry!" Sig suddenly said, slapping his hand over Ash's shoulder, nearly making the boy fall over from the power. "I was thinking of getting an apprentice in case something happens. But, to truly get into grove with your weapon, I'll take you boys, step by step, then you'll be good Wastelanders one day!"

'_Wastelander?'_ Ash repeated in his head, surprised by what Sig had said. But before the boy could say anything, the man added:

"The first thing we'll do is to go out to outside the city walls and bag in a few Metal Heads!" He picked up his rifle and jogged out. "Meet me at the entrance to Dead Town! That's where I'll be;" he turned his body a bit and pointed at them, "now don't leave me in the wind boys!" And he was gone.

The outsiders blinked in surprise before looking at each other. Pikachu shrugged before going into Ash's bag before the latter walked out of the saloon.

* * *

><p>There are moments where one felt completely puzzled.<p>

For Errol, this is one of those moments.

And why wouldn't he, since the couple of hairs he had found earlier, show that whoever they belonged to isn't registered as a Havenite.

…Or rather, from this world at all, since the test results also show that this strand of DNA gave off a strange energy signature. One completely different from Eco, yet similar at the same time.

He kept staring at the strange, light blue/cyan colored energy contained within a glass case. Thanks to the technology, any type of energy, or form of Eco, can still be stable in that container. However, it was hard to stable this strange energy the first time; but after a few minutes, although it almost went out at some points, they managed to do so.

Still though, he's surprised. Something that's not Eco, yet it's a life force?

This strange energy…

It fascinated him.

However, he couldn't tell Baron Praxis, or that Light Eco obsessed Count Veger, about this strange substance. Maybe if he could somehow recreate this energy with a couple of scientists, and perhaps… perhaps he might experiment it and see how it'll react with Dark Eco, and see if this energy could take that substance.

However, he needed a name for this energy. It flickered a bit, like a small flame would. It seemed to shift a bit, kinda like an aura…

Wait, that's it!

He pulled out a recording device and pressed a button. "Second day of the 4th month of the year, 1215 hours. I have discovered a strange substance within the DNA found earlier in the Krimzon Guard Fortress. I believe that it may have belonged to the short eared boy that had arrived yesterday. I will try to replicate this energy, since Light Eco is rumored to be artificially made by mixing together four Eco energies; and, perhaps, try to see how it'll react to Dark Eco along with how it could take it. Because of the way it moves like a flame, shifting like an aura, I decided to give it a name until I could find out more of its origin. It will be known… as 'Aura'." He clicked off the record button and smirked.

'_Oh, this will __diffidently__ be interesting…'_ He thought to himself, gazing at the energy he had dubbed as 'Aura'…

* * *

><p><strong>Dead Town; 1230 hours<strong>

"Careful cherry!" Sig exclaimed, shooting at one of the metallic-looking creatures, all of them different yet they all have yellow, glowing gem-like objects on their heads; that was near him and swatted it away from him. It fell from where it stood and into the water. Apparently, this one (classified as a Grunt by Sig), isn't a very good swimmer; after flailing around in the water for a bit, and thanks to the electric cords in the water, the creature didn't last long and went into it's doom. A moment after, the strange gem on its forehead somehow popped out of its head and bounced a bit on the ground.

"I'm trying!" The boy exclaimed, shooting at the others with wild bullets, most of them missing their target while some of them managed to hit their mark.

Here's a quick recap so far. After a few minutes of driving on another single-light Zoomer, the duo from the Pokémon World finally arrived at their destination. They didn't have time to look at the sights, because the moment they came into the area, they found the Wastelander shooting at those creatures – which the duo guessed are 'Metal Heads' – near the entrance. Without hesitation, the two of them quick ran into the fray to help the man.

With a few blasts of Red Eco, a couple of Thunderbolt, Iron Tail and Quick Attack, sometimes, you have to feel sorry for the Metal Heads. But then again, you don't have to…

The group of three managed to fight their way through the place, all the way a cliff near an old, rotting hut. That's where the group is now.

There are a few Metal Heads remaining, however, Pikachu is tuckered out from using a lot of attacks in such a short time, so Ash had to put Pikachu in the bag to get him out of danger. Taking out the Morph-Gun again, he took aim at them and pressed the trigger-

_Click._

Only to hear the click. "Huh?" He pressed the trigger a few more times, only for him to get a few more _Click, Click_ sound.

'_Oh crap!'_ He exclaimed in his head, already figuring out what was wrong. Talk about the worst _possible_ time to run out of ammo!

"Hey, uh, Sig? Got any ideas?" The raven haired boy asked nervously.

His answer is an incessant, high-pitched whirring sound from his side. Looking towards the source, he found that Sig's gun – where the Metal Head-like skull is at – where an orb of white electrical energy surround by a blue glow is formed, pointed at the remaining Metal Heads, who hissed at the noise they were hearing. The man made an insane grin. "Just one," he told him, "Stand back now."

The Trainer nodded, doing as the man said. As soon as he did, though, Sig, how had held onto the trigger to build up that power, had released it, sending the ball flying towards the Metal Heads-

And made contact with the one in the middle. Once it did, the Metal Head Grunt, along with those unfortunate to be near it, all received an incredibly painful shock constantly. Sig held a thumb up as the three watched. Eventually, all of the remaining Metal Heads fell forward, dead, and Sig pointed his thumb down.

"Now that's how you hunt Metal Heads!" The dark skinned man cheered, doing a little fist pump.

Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu stared at the Metal Head corpses, which faded away in purple light, leaving behind the 'Skull Gems', in shocked awe. "Holy Arceus…" The short eared human uttered, his eyes wide while Pikachu's jaw was wide as well. Looking at Sig, he asked, "How did…?"

"That, would be the Peace Maker cherry," he answered, looking quite proud of himself.

"So wait, that's the Peace Maker mod?" The boy exclaimed. When he nodded, Ash had stars in his eyes. "That's so **cool**! I wish I had one of those!"

"Hey, if you work hard for Krew, maybe you'll get one yourself someday," Sig told him, making a small grin.

"Awright!" Ash pumped his fist in excitement. "I can't wait!"

Pikachu shook his head at his trainer's behavior. _'You never change Ash, no matter what…'_ The electric type thought.

"You know, you did alright for a rookie," the dark skinned man smacked the boy on the back, though not enough to accidently plow the poor kid to the ground. "Although a bit sloppy with the Scatter Gun, there's still room for improvement. Now let's go and collect the Skull Gems and get out of here."

Ash looked at the gems that are in front of them, where the man had gone to pick them up. "So, these 'gems'… how valuable are they?"

"Very," Sig said, "People often pay big money for how much Skull Gems a person gets when they're turned in. That's also how Krew does business." Ash noticed one by his feet and plucked it from the ground, looking it over for a bit.

"Wow…" The boy muttered, gazing at this thing. For some reason, something told him that he might needed these…

With that in mind, he went to help Sig to pick up the gems. Pikachu too, once he got enough energy.

It took them a few minutes, but they managed to get enough for both ends. They were at the entrance to Dead Town when the raven haired boy looked back at the town.

True to its name, everything pretty much looks… dead. If it hadn't been for some creatures and Metal Heads hanging around here, this place would've been devoid of life – or rather, devoid of human life. Everything is in ruins- literally; with a tall, ruined tower in the very middle of the place. Even though most of the buildings are intact, it's hard to decipher what they looked like, with the water around the place fairly high, making the small patches of land look like small islands.

Whatever the hell happened to this place, it must've been bad for the town to be in this condition…

"Hey Sig?" When the man hummed as an answer, the boy continued, "What happened to this place that made it like this?"

The man sighed. "Well, I don't have all the details, but, apparently, the Metal Heads somehow managed to break through the walls and attacked the place. Many lives were lost in the process; most of the Baron's guards along with them. The Baron suddenly pulled his troops back, behind the 'new' wall, leaving everyone here to die."

The two outsiders gasped. But the man continued, looking solemn, "I also heard that a lone man somehow managed to defeat them all. Though no one had heard from this guy since then."

'_A lone man?' _Ash repeated, crossing his arms. If what Sig said is true, then this guy must be the Shadow Ciel had mentioned yesterday. _'So the Shadow used to live here?'_

His thoughts were broken when he noticed something dangling in front of him. It looked like a long strap of brown leather with a loop of sorts at the middle. The loop itself looked like it could a Morph-Gun in it. "Huh?"

"Here, this will help you carry your Morph-Gun around," Sig told him. "It'll be easier for you to carry your little friend around."

As the information sank into his mind, the raven haired boy grinned. "Thanks!" He set the bag, which has the Skull Gems he collected inside, down onto the ground. Making sure that the pouch is facing out, he wrapped the leather belt around his body, from his right shoulder to under his left arm, aligning the pouch with the center of his back. After adjusting the belt to make it fit a bit more, he looked over the Morph-Gun before placing it into the pouch. To his surprise, it fit snuggly in the pouch! Deciding to try something out, he reached for the gun and pulled it out without much trouble. "Cool! Now _this_ is convenient! Again, thanks man!"

"Now don't go thanking me yet!" Sig warned him. "Even though you've gotten through this today doesn't mean it'll be easy from here on out. Since I'm now your mentor, you'll have to come over to the Hip-Hog to receive some training here- both with the Morph-Gun and a bit of physical combat." Patting the boy on the shoulder, he added, "Training starts tomorrow, cherry, so try to head over there whenever you get the time; though, sometimes, we might have to do a job or two for Krew. Think you can handle it?" He made a challenging grin at the boy.

Without hesitation, the short eared boy grinned as well. "Bring it on!"

"That's the spirit!" He turned to the exit and walked there. "See you later."

Ash nodded, before looking at Pikachu. "Let's head back to the Underground Pikachu."

"(Alright,)" the Pokémon nodded, before getting on his master's shoulder.

The raven haired boy chuckled before walking towards the exit Sig had just left through.

After the boy had climbed out of the strange pit fall the entrance to Dead Town is at, the boy started to look around for a Zoomer to use. There isn't one close by, so he decided to look around for it.

Then, all of a sudden…

"_Aura channeler…" _A deep, raspy voice reverberated in his head, catching him off guard. The boy held his head from the sudden headache he got, while Pikachu got off his shoulder and looked at his Trainer in worry.

"(Ash!)"

"_Come to me, Aura channeler…"_ The voice continued, _"We have much to talk about…"_ Just as suddenly as the voice left, the headache Ash had disappeared.

Blinking, the boy moved his hand away from his head. "What just happened…?"

Before Pikachu could answer, the pocket that held his communicator glowed a bit. "(Ash, look!)" The Pokémon exclaimed, pointing at the phenomena.

Ash took quick notice of this and quickly dung into his pocket, pulling out the device. His eyes widened at the fact that it was glowing in a pure, white light, with a tint of blue. The two watched in awe for a bit when the GPS suddenly came to life, with a new icon shown on the screen. Tilting his head a bit, Ash zoomed the map out. "Hey… whatever this symbol is, it looked close by…"

Pikachu hopped onto his Trainer's shoulder to take a look. True to what the black haired human said, the icon, which looked like a golden skull on a wide pedestal, looked pretty close. In the section of the city called 'Water Slums'.

Ash looked at his Pokémon. "Let's check it out."

Pikachu gulped a bit. "(I was afraid you'll say that…)"

* * *

><p><strong>Water Slums; 1305 hours<strong>

The two boys looked up at the building before them. They then looked at the area they were in, besides the building.

Like this building, all the other buildings are sitting on the rotting (but stable) bridges, standing on top of some wood that supported them up from the dirty water; although the bridges themselves are awkwardly bent, looking impossible walk on, but the people who lived here, along with the patrolling KG, walked on the bridges no problem.

The houses themselves looked like they've seen better days, all of them looking like tiny piles of wood and scrap metal glued together into very strange shapes; not one of them looked like a square, and doesn't even come close to it.

The two looked back at the building before them once more. This building is unlike the other ones in the Water Slums, because this building is a lot larger than the other buildings, square-shaped, and made out of solid stone.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other, then at the building again. "Well… here goes nothing," he said, reaching for the door and slowly pushed it open.

The duo immediately found a single spacious room, mainly lit by about a hundred small candles. The candles lined the walls along the floor, and along the little ledge above, and there were many more gathered at the other end of the room. The majority of the candles surrounded a giant golden statue. Jutting out from a rounded, squarish base was a big round skull with large eyes and nose sockets, with a funnel-like mouth coming down to the floor. A bright blue glow filled every opening with light.

Awed by the space of the room, and even the statue itself, Ash slowly closed the door behind him. Immediately, all the background noise from the city fell silent.

The sudden silence disturbed the duo for a bit, but they looked back at the statue. Immediately, they felt a strange power coming from the statue. As if hypnotized, the boy slowly walked up to the statue, on the blue carpet with purple zigzagged designs on the edges. Once he was a couple of feet away from it, the statue suddenly spoke.

"_Greetings, Aura channeler."_ Ash did a take upon hearing the voice, although the duo was taken off guard.

"Was… Was that you?" The boy asked it. Pikachu gave Ash a strange look at this.

"_Yes,"_ it confirmed, getting Pikachu to look back at it in surprise, _"I am known as the Oracle, one of the last connection of the Precursors to this world."_

"You mean the same Precursors that created Eco?"

"_Correct. It has been a long time since we had a connection to your world, young channeler,"_ the boys looked at each other in confusion, then immediately back at it when it continued, _"Your coming here is a sign. It means that this world, and your world, is slowly reconnecting the bridge that was made long ago, back when the worlds are young."_

The two of them couldn't help but gulp. The voice had an incredible bass, shaking them to the core with each syllable. Though, apparently, the Oracle didn't notice.

"_As such," _it went on, _"you have already made a connection with the hero. And he needs your help to take down my enemies, those creatures you call Metal Heads, once and for all."_

Connection…? Does the Oracle mean that voice he had heard yesterday?

The Oracle went on: _"However, at your current power, you won't be match against them. Do not fret, young one," _it added, as if sensing Ash's discouragement, _"The Precursors are long allies to those you call Legendary Pokémon. We know a bit of an understanding of the Aura."_

Ash and Pikachu looked immensely surprised. "…Really?"

"_Yes. However, you also have little training in that regard," _the Oracle told them. _"I will teach you a skill in using your Aura. However," _it added, before the boy got to excited, _"teaching you a skill at once will be dangerous. To prove you are worthy of this teaching, you must collect 25 of the Metal Head's Skull Gems and bring them to me. That way, I will teach you an Aura skill from each bounty you bring me."_

"Wow…" Ash let out, raising a brow at the concept. Although, it does sound reasonable…

At the thought of 'Skull Gems', the raven haired boy quickly took out his bag to look through his collection so far.

And sighed, disappointed. He was 15 Skull Gems short…

He nodded, closing up his bag. "Alright, I'll go and collect some more. When I get enough, I'll come back for the lesson."

"_Very well," _it said, _"I will be waiting…"_

Ash and Pikachu nodded at each other again and turned to leave-

"_Wait,"_ until the Oracle spoke up again.

When the boy turned to the statue, a bolt of violet electricity shot out of the statue's mouth suddenly and hit the bag, surprising them. They became surprised once again when the bag, which looked clumpy before, started to… unclump itself.

The boy quickly looked into his bag, and found, to his surprise once again, that the Skull Gems he once had are gone! Although there another, smaller pouch inside, which looked a bit clumpy at the bottom. As he tried to figure out the phenomena, the Oracle spoke up. _"There. It will now be easier to carry anything you may find in the future on this world."_

Ash picked the pouch up from the bag and looked at it in awe. So this is the power of the Precursors…

"Hey thanks!" The boy thanked the statue, waving at it before the two finally took their leave.

As they walked out of the building, the sounds of the city filled their ears once more as the raven haired boy closed the door. "Wow, who would've thought the Precursors are allies with Legendary Pokémon?" The boy spoke up, still amazed that they met the medium of the Precursors. "But… what does it mean about our worlds 'reconnecting'?"

The Pokémon only shrugged. "(How should **I** know?)"

Ash looked back at the house, an eyebrow raised. Then he sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "Well… I guess we have a few appointments tomorrow…" He said, sighing a bit. "But I guess we'll have to deal with that as we stay here."

"(Well, what can you do really?)" Pikachu shrugged again. "(Though let's give it our best, shall we?)"

"Right," Ash nodded. Pikachu, instead of going into the bag, hopped onto the boy's shoulder. The latter chuckled a bit, then he spotted a light-single Zoomer (colored in shades of purple) floating next to the house. Jumping onto it, he quickly switched it to the high zone and flew off towards the direction where the Underground hideout is.

"Aright, Pikachu, let's do our best to help the city!" He exclaimed, lowering his visor over his eyes.

'_Well, Ash and Pikachu made a new friend, along with a… reluctant one (Krew). However, little does the duo realize, the trials they'll face is just ahead…'_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: Aftermath<strong>

"Holy crap! What the heck happened to you Ciel?" Ash exclaimed, both he and Pikachu completely shocked by the state of the girl.

And what was her state? She looked absolutely terrible! Her hair is frizzed up, she had a couple of bruises on her arms and legs, and she even got a black eye! Tess was trying to clean up some of the scratches, and covered the cuts with bandages.

The two of them _just_ returned to the hideout when they saw her state.

Ciel moved her emerald green eyes at the boy, giving him an evil eye. "I swear… No matter where you are, at the Wasteland, and even somewhere around this freakin' city, the Metal Heads are the _second_ thing to piss me off! The Marauders are the _first_ thing to piss me off!" After she made her rant, she fainted.

The two of them (while Tess slightly panicked and tried to help the girl up) blinked and gazed at each other.

And shrugged. _'Maybe she had a bad day, today…'_ Ash thought, walking to the dining room to get something to eat.

* * *

><p><strong>…Wow… uh, I don't know what to say really… <strong>

**Next Chapter:**** It's been a month and a half since the duo landed in Haven City; they learned what they can. But… when Ash sensed a strange energy in the KG Fortress, they forgo their previous mission to check it out. Meanwhile, the Baron is pissed that the DWP had failed, so he sent the test subject to death… if his friend ****hadn't come and saved him****, followed by the duo . After that, they, literally, had to run for their lives (along with three other beings) from the KG that are after them. Will they all survive? And just how the otter/weasel creature understood Pikachu and the other Pokémon? To find out, stay tuned for the next chapter of: **_**Aura Renegade!**_

**(Trivia: In case you're confused, I played Jak 3 and beaten it; which is the reason why Ciel stated that she hated Marauders [on the other hand, who doesn't?]. I also made Jak talk, along with extending the scene from the beginning of Jak II. I have no idea when the Daxter (game) game-play starts, because I haven't played it yet, but I think it took place a month[or somewhere along the lines...] before Jak II officially starts.)**

**The next chapter is where the fun **_**truly**_** begins! X3 Leave a review please!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Let's get this party **_**started!**_

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything related to Nintendo or Naughty Dog; I do, however, own my OCs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Enter Jak and Daxter!<strong>

_A month and a half later…_

It was nighttime around the city of Haven. So far, not much had changed.

…If you count a few incidents involving a young boy accompanied by a strange mouse-like creature causing quite a stir since they arrived here; along with the Metal Bugs (much like Metal Heads but only smaller and bug-like; though they're still pests no matter what) getting a bit worse.

And it's also a shame that the city will have… two **more** troublemakers running around soon. However, these four (or five) 'troublemakers' might be what the city needed…

Speaking of the boy and mouse…

The two of them are now seen on top of the roof on one of the buildings near the KG Fortress, looking over the entrance they had encountered a month and a half ago. Like before, the entrance is guarded.

"Man, this ain't good…" Ash muttered, clearly frustrated by the security. "How the heck can we get inside?"

Pikachu gave his trainer a look before sighing softly, thinking back to what led up to them being here…

* * *

><p><strong>Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon; 1755 hours (Earlier)<br>**

Krew was out like a light on his chair, snoring a bit loudly near the ceiling of his bar. Occasionally, he'd twitch a bit in his sleep before going back to sleep.

The doors to the bar suddenly opened and the Trainer barged in, exclaiming, "We're back, Krew!"

The boy's exclamation startled the smuggler from his sleep, and a person might hear a small _poot_ going off if they **really** paid attention. (But that's beside the point.)

The obese man looked around for a bit until he found the source. "Oh, so you three are back," he muttered, fanning some air his way.

Ash looked confused, blinking a bit as Sig carried in some trophies. "Is that a problem?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Don't worry, chili-pepper," Sig whispered to the boy, "We just barged in on his nap-time."

Ash raised a brow, though he nodded a bit. "Anyways, we just got back from a mission you 'asked' us to do."

Krew looked pleased, not noticing the emphases on 'asked'. "That's very good, ey," he said, grinning a bit, "You're becoming more useful than I ever thought…"

"What's that?" The boy asked (helping Sig with the trophies), not hearing that last part.

"Nothing, nothing," Krew replied, floating over to the counter, and picked something up. "For your effort, here is a bonus," he said, floating back towards the boy and handed the object to him. The object is what appeared to be an end of a gun, with one large barrel and a laser sight beneath it. "A Blaster Mod for your gun."

The boy took the mod, looked over it in some confusion. "So this is one of the mods for the Morph-Gun?" He asked, blinking a bit.

"That's right," Sig answered, looking over the boy, as Krew went off somewhere. "To equip it, attach the barrel at the business end of your gun; and let it do the rest."

Ash and Pikachu looked confused once more, looking at each other for a bit then at the barrel. What did he mean by that?

Shrugging, Ash brought out the gun, pressing a button to make it go back to regular size and did as Sig said. Immediately, the weapon, while glowing yellow, subtly compacted and changed shape around it. The red disc-like ammo cartridge became a yellow cylindrical container, the base of the gun extended outward, and the laser sight powered on, the gun stopped glowing afterwards.

"Woah…" Ash let out, eyes wide in awe. That was- HOW did it do that? It-It was just a shotgun earlier! So how did-

"Oh, there's one more thing I forgot to mention," Sig suddenly said, getting the boy's attention. The man tapped the very back of the gun, prompting the boy to look. There's some sort of… buttons there. The top button had a red light, and the bottom button had a yellow light; the other two buttons (the left and right ones) are colored in dull gray. "Now that you have a new mod, you can switch between them by pressing any button. That way, you can be better prepared for anything the world might throw at you."

"Really?" Ash blinked, before he decided to see for himself. He pressed the red button-

And accidently dropped his gun in surprise when the Blaster Mod glowed yellow before it dissipated into yellow energy – which he suspect is Yellow Eco – and the energy flew towards the yellow button before the Morph-Gun returned to its Scatter Gun mod.

"Woah…" The raven haired boy breathed, reaching towards the gun and picked it up. He pressed the bottom button, and the yellow energy reappeared, reforming the Blaster mod once more. As soon as it did, he immediately noticed the difference in the weight of the gun. Though he couldn't help but think:

A gun that was a shotgun then changed into a rifle? What will they think of next?

"If you want, I'll teach you a little Wastelander trick for the Blaster mod," Sig offered him.

"No thanks Sig," Ash politely declined. "Though, maybe another time," he added, as to not hurt his feelings.

"Ah, alright then, cherry," the man said, patting the boy's shoulder, "I'll let you know later on when the lesson will be issued."

"Alright," Ash nodded. The boy pressed the down button for a few seconds before the Morph-Gun changed into a smaller, compact shape with no ammo cartridge sticking out before he placed the weapon into the pouch. "We'll see you guys later," the boy said, both the Trainer and Pokémon walking out of the bar.

Once they did, they noticed that the sun was setting. "Wow… who would've thought we'd be out this long, huh Pikachu?"

"(Yeah,)" the mouse Pokémon nodded. "(Time flies when you're doing something.)"

Ash only nodded, hot-wiring a Zoomer before he used it to go back to the hideout. As he drove, some thoughts entered his head.

'_Wow… it's already been a month and a half?'_ He asked himself. He felt completely surprised, now that he thought more about it.

How is everyone doing at their world? Are they worried about him? He wondered if they knew where he was.

It made him frown, shoulders slumping, in sadness; Pikachu took notice of his behavior, becoming concerned.

Of course they don't know. The thing he had found (although, he found those other things similar to the first one [Precursor Orbs? At least, that's what Ciel called them.], yet they don't have the strange energy as the one found by Prof. Oak) is nowhere in sight. And so far, it didn't seem there's anything that could help them get back home.

Though, he wondered **if** there's a way home for them at all…

The boy shook his head.

He can think about that later. Right now, he should focus on what's happening now. Everyone else have their own problems; and they've got a Baron to take down. Besides, they'll figure out what to do later as soon as this is all over.

With that in mind, he accelerated a bit towards his destination, just exiting the Industrial Zone and into the Slums-

His head perked up suddenly. He swerved his head at the KG Fortress, eyes wide as saucers. Pikachu once noticed his behavior. "(Ash?)" He cautiously asked.

But the boy didn't hear the Pokémon.

Or anything else in general.

He kept his eyes focused on the building.

The Trainer felt… something coming from that building. A strange… spike of energy. For some strange reason, this energy he felt feels… similar to Aura. Yet… different.

Though, as suddenly as the boy felt it, it suddenly disappeared. The raven haired boy blinked. "Huh?"

"(What's wrong Ash?)" The electric-type asked, concerned.

Ash suddenly felt aware of the world, blinking again and looked at Pikachu. "What?"

"(I said, 'what's wrong Ash'?)"

"…Oh…" He simply said, his mind going blank for a moment. "Well… it's nothing Pikachu. Nothing to worry about."

Somehow, the Pokémon had a feeling the boy was lying. Though, he decided to let it drop. "(Alright then…)"

The two of them continued to ride in silence. However, the feeling Ash had felt earlier… disturbed him.

'_What __**was**__ that?' _He asked himself. It… felt so strange, that energy…

As he continued to drive to the hideout, deep down, he felt… uneasy. As if that energy spike is an omen of sorts…

Maybe the Underground Hideout would get his mind out of it…

**Underground HQ; 1830 hours**

"AW GROSS!" Is what the duo heard as they walked in. Startled, the two – Pikachu had gotten off of his shoulder the moment they entered – of them fully walked in to see what happened-

When Ciel went into the central room with a glass filled with disgustingly black sludge. Some parts of her face have a few small splatters of the same slime that was in the glass. And she looked _absolutely _**pissed**.

"What the hell happened to the water!" She shouted, looking ready to kick someone's ass. "Who's the _smartass_ who turned off the water?"

"Unfortunately," Torn spoke up, getting the trio's attention, "the 'smartass' who turned off the water happened to be Praxis. Or rather his men."

"PRAXIS?" The two humans exclaimed, Pikachu too in his own language.

The older man pushed himself off of the circular table to gaze at the two with a stern glare. "Yeah. The Baron turned off all the water to the Slums. He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives just to destroy the Underground!" Taking on a thoughtful look, Torn said, "I shouldn't be surprised, really. I've seen his evil before, while serving in the Krimzon Guard. That's why I quit."

The three of them did a take. "_You_ were a _Krimzon Guard_? (Pikachu: PIKA?)" The young ones exclaimed, completely taken off guard by this.

"Holy shit!" Ciel exclaimed, holding her head in shock, "You were part of the KG?"

Torn raised a brow, looking bored. "And that really surprised you?"

"Uh, yeah," Ash meekly said, a sweat-drop running down the back of his head, Pikachu's as well. "We weren't really expecting that." On the other hand, that explained why Torn had tattoos like Errol and Ashelin…

"Hold on," the boy suddenly spoke up, as if coming to an epiphany. "Were you a Commander then?"

"Nice to see that you aren't really as dense as you make yourself," the man dryly remarked, folding his arms.

A record scratched in their heads. The three of them could only stare at the man, eyes as wide as saucers. And he stared back with the same bored expression.

Silence.

Finally, Ciel chuckled nervously. "Well… That explains your… _charming_ sense of humor."

Torn merely rolled his eyes. "Anyway, my friend in the Guard tells me the valve to turn the water back on is located _outside_ the city, at the Pumping Station."

"Wait, why are you telling _us_ this?" Ciel interrupted, raising her brow in suspicion. "Are you just giving us a crappy mission to get us out of the Hideout?"

"Hey, c'mon Ciel," Ash cut in, trying to calm the girl down. "The two of us are practically the youngest in the group. That is kinda reasonable to not send us out on _real_ missions-"

"Since when did _you_ become the voice of reason?" Ciel shot back at him, glaring at him with her emerald eyes. "The only mission we've only done considered 'serious' is where we had to get some more weaponry for the other members of the Underground. If you ask me, I'm getting the impression that we're their _errand_ kids!"

"Uh-"

"We've been here for a month and a _half_ already!" The girl continued, comically towering over the sixteen-year old, "After all we've been through, shouldn't we, I dunno, _prove _ourselves that we're able enough to take on tougher missions?"

Torn, who went silent as the two somewhat bickered, smirked a little, amused. "So, you three want to start proving yourselves, eh?" He said casually, getting their attention. "Alright then, if you guys managed to get the water back on for the Slums, I'll start considering that you guys will be able to take on more missions I have in mind in the future. A lot tougher than your 'initiation'."

Ciel gave him a suspicious glance. "You swear?"

Torn gave a sharp nod in response.

The trio gave each other a look before the Wastelander looked back at the ex-Commander. "Alright, what do we need to do?"

"You've already been there Ciel, however," the auburn haired man looked back at Ash and Pikachu, "the two of you will probably need directions to get there. All you have to do, is find the large drain pipe in the north wall at the Water Slums. It'll take you outside the city to the Pumping Station. Get to the main valve and open it."

"Sounds easy enough," Ash said.

"That's what you think," Torn countered, "There are a bunch of Metal Heads roaming the place."

Ash, however, merely smirked and rubbed his finger under his nose. "Alright then, we'll be careful as we go along!" He exclaimed, as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.

The duo turned to the entrance, about to leave when Torn suddenly spoke up: "And one more thing."

When they turned to look at him, Torn's expression hardened a bit. "Try not to get into too much trouble, you hear?"

"Hey, no need to worry, we won't!" Ash told him. Finally, the trio left the base to do a 'serious' mission.

Once they were gone, Torn pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's when he says that is where **I** worry the most…"

* * *

><p><strong>The Slums; 1855 Hours<strong>

Ciel led the group out of the Hideout, far more enthused by the prospect of a 'serious' mission. "About time we started proving ourselves!" She exclaimed, heading over to a large double-Zoomer parked near the bend in the alley's path.

"All the stuff we did for a while finally paid off!" She continued, deciding to hotwire the Zoomer. "Like the last mission we did, we _can't_ afford messing this up! And- Hey, are you listening?" She looked back at the raven haired male, noticing that he doesn't seem to pay attention.

Said boy seemed to be staring at something beyond the buildings. Lost in thought.

A small jolt from Pikachu helped him out of there. "Huh? What?"

Ciel gave him a weird look, turning her body to gaze at him. "Hey… you okay?"

The raven haired boy chewed on his cheek. Should he tell her?

A part of him wanted too… But the other part wasn't entirely sure.

Ash sighed. Here goes nothing. "Ciel, you remember what I've told you about my… abilities, right?"

Said girl blinked. "Yeah… you did," she nodded. "Why did you ask?"

No turning back now. "Earlier today, while I was on my way back to the Hideout, I felt… a strange pulse of energy from the KG Fortress." Even Pikachu stared at the boy in surprise. "I'm not sure why, but… that energy made a chill go down my spine. Because that energy felt… similar to Aura. But it isn't."

_That_ got Ciel's attention. "Not Aura, yet similar to it?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He looked back at the direction where the Fortress is at. "I'm not sure why, but something is going on at that place. And I don't like it." The boy began to march towards the city, a determined frown on his face.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?" Ciel called out to him.

"To find some answers," was his blunt reply.

"Wh- Hey, wait! Ash!" But the boy was already gone. Lowering her hand, she stayed silent for a small moment. "Ash…"

_Now, at 1910 hours near the KG Fortress…_

'_I don't really blame Ciel for being taken serious,'_ Pikachu thought. _'But…'_ He looked at his trainer, who was glaring at the entrance. _'Whenever Ash has his sights on something, there's no stopping him.'_

After the thought crossed the Pokémon's mind, an idea popped into Ash's head. "Pikachu," he whispered, though loud enough for his Pokémon to hear, "I'm going to try to see if we could make a… strategy…"

With that, he lowered the visor over his eyes. When he did, his eyes… glowed blue. His pupils, irises, everything.

Within his point of view, everything, the people, buildings even the machines themselves, turned black… and replaced by faint light blue/cyan 'aura' around them; but not all of them are the same color. He looked up at the KG Fortress. Immediately, he found the entire place covered in shades of red… and most of them are blue. Faintly, _faintly_ blue, but still there.

Yet…

What caught his attention are two bright blue auras there. One of them was at the very bottom of the Fortress.

The other…

The other is around the top floor.

Yet no sign of the other, strange energy he felt earlier.

The boy narrowed his eyes, this time, concentrating. Concentrating on how to get into the building, without getting killed.

It was a special technique that he developed after he gained his **Aura Sight** from the Precursor Oracle sometime before. If he concentrated, _really_ concentrated, he would be able to pick up clues to solve problems.

But ONLY when the situation rises for it.

The situation that they're in, is one of them.

Once more, he took in everything in front of him. Really took it in.

The way the guards are positioned. The security camera. The inactive gun turrets.

Wait… That's it!

"Pikachu," he whispered, lifting his visor up. "I've got an idea. Can you follow along?"

Although the Mouse Pokémon was a bit confused, he nodded without a second thought.

He had a feeling that his trainer was really serious about this. And when he's serious, that means that something is going to happen.

Ash looked around for a bit, for something to throw with. Using the Morph-Gun is dangerous. Even though it could blast to the part of the wall he intended, the sound of the blast, along with the light, would only get them in trouble with the guards.

He found what he was looking for. A pair of decent sized rocks. He picked them up, tossing one in his hand for a bit to test its weight. Not too heavy and not too light. He looked up at the sky, seeing the pollution from the city added to their favor.

He nodded to himself. Time to set this in motion. Taking the rock, he chucked it at the far end of the left side as hard as he could. Although, through the years of throwing Pokéballs make things possible.

_Clank!_

The two guards suddenly became alert.

"What was that?" The first guard said. The second guard pointed to his right.

"Came from over there. Go check it out." The sound led the first guard away from the entrance of the Fortress, leaving just one soldier guarding the entrance.

Ash picked up another stone, and had his eyes set on the eastern wall.

_Clank!_

The second guard's shoulder's stiffened.

"There it is again." Seeing that the first guard was still checking out the other wall, he glanced up to camera.

"At least the camera can catch someone trying to get in." Reassured by this, the other guard walked towards the eastern wall.

That's when Ash picked up his Pokémon. "Do you think you could unplug the wire?" He asked.

Then the Electric-type figured out what he was planning. He nodded.

Ash nodded back. Then he chucked Pikachu as hard as he could.

Years of experience allowed Pikachu to spin (the rolling kind) through the air, landing perfectly onto the camera. Pikachu immediately unplugged the wire that made the camera work, shutting it off.

The raven haired trainer quickly jumped off of the roof and charged at the entrance as fast as he could, going up the ramp and, when the mechanical doors opened, went in, along with Pikachu. The doors closed, mere moments when the two guards returned.

"Have you found out what caused the noise?" The second guard asked.

"No, have you?" The first one asked, noticing that the second one seemed to be walking back.

The other shrugged. "Nope." The two of them resumed their post, not even knowing that someone had managed to slip through…

_Within the Fortress' main lobby…_

"So this is the inside of entrance room, huh?" Ash spoke up, looking around the room.

Looking around, the duo saw several rows of control panels leading to a dimly lit hallway up ahead, but it was blocked by an electrical field created by two twin generators.

To the left was another pathway, yet the pathway is also blocked by an electrical field. Along with… a big, red _tank_ with a spiked steamroller, sitting there at the center of the room.

The two of them jumped a little at the site of it. But when they noticed that it was… inactive, their worries eased a little.

"How come we haven't noticed that?" The raven haired boy asked, still surprised at seeing the tank.

"(I… have no idea…)" Pikachu said, blinking slowly at it. The Pokémon got off of his Trainer's shoulder and went over to the tank, poking it a bit. "(It's not working though. Maybe it was turned off.)"

Ash shrugged. "Maybe…" He looked around the room, trying to find a way _up_ in this place, since both ways are blocked at the moment…

Then Pikachu spotted something. "(Hey Ash, look!)" He exclaimed, pointing at it. Ash looked at where Pikachu is pointing-

And raised his brows up in surprise. Then he grinned. "Nice work Pikachu!" He pumped his fist in victory a bit before he and Pikachu went over to the object. At the corner of the room are some vents.

The raven haired boy grabbed hold of the cover, tugging on it to try to pry it off. He mentally cursed (using one of the words he heard from Sig; and occasionally Ciel) when he found that it wouldn't budge. He looked over the cover-

And realized that it needed to be unhooked. As quickly and carefully as he could, he managed to do it.

After lifting the cover, he looked over at Pikachu. "You go first buddy."

"(Right!)" The Pokémon saluted before he quickly went inside.

Ash followed suit, but not without putting the cover back on. _'Like I wasn't even here,'_ he thought with a wry grin. With that, the duo began their climb.

* * *

><p><em>A few minutes later, at the Prison block of the Fortress…<em>

He slowly walked through the metal passage, wearingly looked around. The small package he had tied to his back slipped a little, so he adjusted it a bit. A pair of goggles, ones he had picked out, dangled a bit to his side, so he pushed it back a bit.

'_Okay… according to the map I've snagged from the Baron's palace,'_ he thought to himself, looking around a bit with his blue eyes, _'I'm getting close to where they're holding him…'_

A few minutes of walking later, he suddenly heard screams up ahead. Screams of _pain_.

'_What was THAT?'_ He exclaimed in his head. Running as fast as he could, he followed the screams to their source. A moment later, he came upon a very large ventilation duct. He quickly pressed himself against the corner of the duct. Slowly, slowly, he peeked out from his cover-

And did a take. "Oh my god…" He muttered to himself.

Standing next to a torture chair are two people, both of them he recognized. But that's the _third_ thing he saw. The _second_ thing he saw were the violet sparks of lightning(?) coming out of the machine and onto the chair. The _first_ thing he saw was someone _strapped _to the said chair. Someone really familiar… yet isn't at the same time.

'_Is… is that Jak?'_ He asked himself, his eyes wide.

At least… this person looked like his best friend. The blonde hair where there's some green at around the forehead, resembles the way his friend's hair is colored.

Yet…

This person is… buffer. And his skin is slightly pale. But not _too_ pale since his skin is still tanned somewhat. Also, his jaw had a few stubbles of hair on it, mostly around the chin. Also green.

This person is writhing, flailing, and _screaming _as that… stuff was going _into_ his chest, spreading out all over his body. And with his limbs bond to the chair, it seemed like it's the _only_ thing he could do.

Finally, finally, the automated voice said, his blood running cold, _"Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings nominal and unchanged."_

'_Dark Eco?'_ He echoed in his head, as the person slumped down onto the chair, twitching.

The man, who'd been pacing back and forth impatiently, muttered, "Feh. _Nothing._ I was informed that this one might be **different**!"

The other man, who he knew so well because he _literally _met him two years ago (and somewhat recently), frowned a little. "He is surprisingly resistant to your 'experiments', Baron Praxis." Looking over the limp young man on the chair, he added, "I fear the Dark Warrior Program has failed."

The Baron looked down into the abyss below contemplatively. When he heard the word 'failed' though, he clenched his hand, turned to the young man and grabbed his long hair. "Aaaarrgh!" He roared in frustration, yanking his hair up to glare at his face. "You should at least be _dead_ with all the Dark Eco I've pumped into you!" The green-blonde didn't react to this much, being disoriented and on the very of unconsciousness.

As the Baron let go and moved to the edge again, the other man quickly demanded, "What now? Metal Head armies are pressing their attacks. Without a new weapon, my men cannot hold them off forever!"

The larger man slowly turned around, angry as hell. "…I will _not_ be remembered as the man who lost this city to those vile **creatures**!" Advancing on the shorter man, who backed up in alarm, he shouted, "Move forward with the final plan! And finish off this… _thing_ tonight!"

As the Baron walked away, the lean man stepped aside and said, "As you wish." Turning to the young man, he grinned sadistically and leaned in toward him, quietly saying, "I'll be back later."

As they slowly walked out of the room, the other 'occupant' noticed that the lean man is still smirking. He raised his eye ridge at that. _'What's __he__ grinnin' about?'_ He thought suspiciously.

A few moments went by in silence once they were gone. He looked over at the young man still on the chair. And narrowed his eyes.

'_Call him a 'thing', eh? And you're gonna kill him off? I don't think so!'_

As quickly as his small body could allow, he jumped down from where he was hiding and ran to the chair on all fours.

When he got close, he set down the package and jumped onto the young man's body. He got a clear look at the young man, who seemed to have fallen asleep. His ears lay flat, his shoulders slumping when he took in the face of this person.

No… of his _best_ friend!

Still not quiet believing it, he slowly walked towards his face and leaned over. He reached out his hand and touched his cheek. It was warm. Which means he was still alive.

He released the breath he didn't know he was holding. Okay, now he's gotta try and wake him up somehow…

He patted the young man's cheek gently. "Jak?" He spoke up in a thin, high pitched voice, "Jak? C'mon Jak, wake up!" He patted the green-blonde's cheek again.

This time, he stirred, letting out a small groan. "Hey, c'mon Jak, get up!" He exclaimed at his friend, standing up on his chest.

The young man squeezed his eyes, and fluttered his eyes – a deep cobalt blue; yet they looked… clouded – open. He looked down at the strange weight on his chest.

In his point of view, his vision is a bit blurred, seeing something… orange standing on his chest. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. When he did, he instantly recognized it.

"D…Daxter?" He let out, his voice raspy from the screams he made out earlier.

The rodent-like creature's ears perked up when he heard the voice. It's a lot deeper than it was before. But… at least nothing bad had happened that made him lose his voice.

Though, he chuckled a bit nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yep, it's me buddy," he answered, making a toothy grin. However, his expression turned serious, staring down into his friend's eyes. "Just hang on buddy; I'll try to find a way to get these bonds off of you."

Daxter quickly moved to Jak's left and inspected the lock, trying to find out how to open it. His friend stared at his back, blankly. "Let's see here…" The shorter being muttered, looking over it, "If I were to guess right…" He trailed off as he used his hands to search for… _something_! A clue maybe, but-

Aha! A hook!

Grinning in victory, the animal took hold of the hook and pulled it off-

And the lock popped open immediately. "Yes!" Daxter exclaimed, pumping his fist.

At that moment, Jak's eyes were suddenly filled with life, widening just a fraction when he felt his left hand free. "Dax," he started, using his friend's nickname, "Try to free my feet. I'm going to try to get my other hand free."

"Ai-ai, sir!" The orange animal mock saluted and went to do as he was told while the green-blonde slid his hand out of the lock and sat up as much as he could and went to work on freeing his right hand.

The young man managed to find the same hook and pried it off, just as Daxter managed to get the security locks off his left foot. Jak slid his right hand out just as Daxter unhooked the right foot.

As Jak rubbed his wrists tenderly, the orange animal approached him. "Alright, your limbs are, so now we should-"

He was cut off when Jak suddenly pulled him into a hug. Although the rodent was surprised, he didn't make a move when he heard, so softly he almost missed it, from his friend:

"This… This is real…" A tear formed at the corner of his eye. He could barely… barely believe that… that his friend… i-is here! "Dax… I thought… I thought I'd never see you again…!"

Hearing the emotion coming from his friend's mouth – sounding so… desperate… and relieved that he's now here – something inside of Daxter felt… bad, no, _terrible_; maybe… maybe he went through so many horrors that-

The rodent leaned into the hug. "I'm sorry that I couldn't find you fast enough," he mumbled into Jak's chest. "I've searched everywhere for you for-for the past two years. I've almost given up, but-"

The duo drew away from each other, Jak making a warm, grateful grin at his friend. "But you didn't, did you?"

"Hey, I won't let you fend for yourself," Daxter said with a cocky grin, putting his hands on his hips, "You wouldn't last two seconds without me- err, no offense."

Still with the grin, Jak shook head. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Hey, what's _that_ suppose to mean?" Daxter questioned with a tone. Jak merely shrugged.

Then the Ottsel blinked, remembered something. "Oh yeah, I've brought you some new threads." Jumping down to the platform – while his friend slowly followed suit, stumbling a bit from what he had went through earlier – he went over to the package and held it up to his friend. "Here, put 'em on."

Jak took the package from his friend and brought it to his eye level, looking over it like it was something he had never seen before. He blinked a bit when he felt something else and moved his hand to see what it is-

And blinked. _'These goggles…'_ They… looked similar to his old pair.

He made a weak grin. "Thanks." Without a word, he opened the package and started to get dressed, shedding his prisoner clothes off.

Daxter had turned around when he started to slip off his dirty brown shirt. "Y'know, I've went through a _lot _of crazy shit tryin' to get to you."

Jak was fiddling with his shirt – a dark blue long sleeved tunic – though he raised his brow a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, really!" The Ottsel stamped his foot a little, "There's this guy who _looked_ human, yet he suddenly turned into one **ugly** bastard! He looked like one of those Metal Heads, yet he looked more… bug-like, but he's still _huge_!"

'_Metal Head?'_ Jak echoed in his mind, pulling on his dark blue flared fingerless gloves, looking over his shoulder at his friend. _'Come to think of it… I remember hearing the guards talking about them…'_

"What else happened?"

"Well, he tried to kill me for trying to get to ya," Daxter answered, "Although he put up a _nasty_ fight, I used my wits and my mad skills to kick his ass! It wasn't easy, but I managed to do so."

The young man raised a green brow. Even before Daxter became what he is now, while growing up, he's always known to… exaggerate some things, telling stories of his (suppose)accomplishments to those that would listen. But only someone _really_ gullible would believe him. Yet…

The way he was talking about that felt like he was telling the truth.

Having finished putting on his pants, he began working on the three leather straps that wrap around his torso, holding a large metal ring in place at the center of his chest when he spoke up again, "So, after you took down the 'Metal Head' you made your way up here?"

"That's right," the Ottsel replied without hesitation; though he caught the emphasized Metal Head, he figured that his friend had never seen one before. "Before I found ya, I was…" He trailed off, as if he was trying to think of how to continue. Jak fastened a leather belt around his waist with a small pocket resting on his left thigh when he noticed that Daxter went silent.

"Was what?" He slipped on his boots.

The Ottsel remained silent for a bit. Then he answered: "Well… let's just say that I've worked at a company for a small while, when I was tryin' to find you. I've only worked with them for, maybe… a month and a half before I got here." At that, he rubbed his furry chin a bit. "I hope Osmo and Ximon are alright…"

Osmo and Ximon? Well… He'll ask Daxter about it later, he thought as he fixed up a red cloth to make it be around his collar bone, parts of it dangling at the sides of his face. Finally, he placed his goggles on.

Once he was finished, he turned to Daxter. "How do I look?"

The Ottsel turned to look at his friend, drinking in the outfit his friend is wearing. "Hey, it ain't bad at all," he commented, "Although… maybe you should shave some parts of your face off – leave the goatee though, it's okay where it is – THEN you'll look alright!"

When Daxter commented about his face, he touched parts of his lower jaw, feeling bits of hair on his cheeks… though there's a lot of it around his chin, mostly.

"Ah, who cares about that right now," Daxter waved it off, walking towards the narrow bridge, "C'mon, we gotta get out of this dump before those guys come back."

Jak's eyes widened a bit. If Daxter looked at his friend, he would've noticed that his eyes have entirely turned pitch black for a moment before they returned to normal.

The young man's lips made a thin look, thinking of the man that had done… unspeakable things to him! One way or another…

He'll get Praxis back. And anyone else who served him. Hell nor Heaven forbid, he _will_ get his revenge…!

He saved his energy for a moment. Right now, though, they must escape. Sharply exhaling, he followed Daxter off of the Torture platform – _away_ from the chair, thank the lord – and onto the main part of the floor.

Putting a hand on his waist, he and Daxter looked around a bit. "Now… which way should we go…?"

At that moment, however, the two of them suddenly heard a sound. While Jak flinched, Daxter nearly jumped two feet into the air. "What the heck was that?" The Ottsel exclaimed, looking around wildly.

Jak shifted his eyes around the room, trying to find the source of the noise – a clanging of metal – while trying to steady his beating heart.

_Clang!_

There it is again!

_CLANG!_

Jak looked up at the ceiling, seeing a large metal grating that leads to a ventilation shaft. And it seemed that something – or some_one_ – was trying to get in- or out.

Apparently, Daxter also found the source and climbed up onto the metal shoulder pad over Jak's left shoulder, trying to hide behind him. Jak automatically petted his friend's head, trying to assure him that it'll be alright. He slowly shifted into a defensive stance, ready to attack if this being is a hostile.

A moment of silence. An _unbearable_ moment of tense silence went by.

Then, another _clang_ sounded out, and the cover to the ventilation fell off-

"WAH!" And apparently, someone else fell down with it, crashing to the ground unceremoniously.

Jak blinked in surprised, and Daxter dared a peek over his shoulder, blinking with his friend. "What the-"

"Pika-pi!" Another voice sounded out – sounding… worried? – though it's not something they recognize.

As Daxter rubbed his head, trying to figure out what he head – Did he hear the Ottsel mutter 'Ash?'? – the green-blonde haired male looked over the other person, who was recovering from his fall…

_Moments before…_

Ash and Pikachu, finding themselves in a _larger_ shaft opposed to the other smaller ones they were in for a while, walked a bit while looking around.

The raven haired boy pulled out his communicator, looking over the map. "Okay, according to the map, we're around the… prison block of this place."

"(That's where the other Aura signature was, isn't it?)" The Pokémon asked. Earlier, Ash explained to Pikachu that he picked up two of them- one of them around the third floor of the building.

"Yeah," the teenager nodded, "For some reason though, I'm having a feeling we're getting close."

'_Well, at least Ash's sense of direction has improved in over a month…'_ Pikachu could help but thought to himself. But before the Pokémon could ask how close-

His ears twitched a bit before jumping down to the ground. "What's up Pikachu?"

"(I think… I think I heard something!)" The electric-type answered, before he quickly made his way to the source, prompting his Trainer to follow him.

For a bit, Ash followed his Pokémon to where he heard something until they came upon a metal grating. Slowing to a stop, the duo cautiously tip-toed over to it- trying to be as silent as death himself.

They lowered to the grating as quietly as they could and strained their ears. "…should shave some parts of your face off – leave the goatee though, it's okay where it is – THEN you'll look alright!"

The duo from Pokéarth looked at each other in surprise. Who the hell _is_ that?

After a small moment of silence, the same voice said casually, "Ah, who cares about that right now." After that, they heard… nails clicking against metal?- as this person walked, "C'mon, we gotta get out of this dump before those guys come back."

For a moment, Ash suddenly felt… something _negative_ appear for a second, but just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. The boy blinked. _'What was that…?'_ He asked himself.

The two of them, after a small moment, heard someone else, boots with metal soles clicking against metal, walking as well. Pikachu looked at Ash, who also looked back at them. And the latter nodded. He quickly got up and looked at the grating, not hearing someone else talking. He lifted up his foot-

And stomped down onto it as hard as he could, trying to break it off of its hinges.

He briefly heard someone yelping in surprise as he looked over the grating. It didn't seemed to budge.

"(Uh, Ash-)" Pikachu was cut off when the boy tried it again, this time harder. And harder the next time.

No dice.

Feeling somewhat frustrated, he crossed his arms with a grunt and looked over the grating. A moment later, in a spur of the moment, the boy jumped up and stomped down on it.

The grating _finally _came loose.

Only that it took the boy with it. "WAH!" He screamed as he fell to the ground below, landing unceremoniously onto it. In his pain, he barely heard someone speaking up.

"(Ash!)" Pikachu exclaimed from where he was, peaking down at his trainer and he groaned a bit in pain.

Slowly pushing himself up, he tenderly rubbed his back. "Agh… That freakin' hurt!"

"Who the hell are you?" He suddenly heard a voice – a familiar voice. He looked over at the source-

Seeing a young man wearing a dark blue tunic-like shirt, a pair of sand colored pants, a pair of dark blue boots with brown cloth-like material around it, three leather straps around his chest that held a metal ring (and a small metal shoulder pad on his left shoulder) in place, a pair of dark blue flared out fingerless gloves (with a small bit of armor under the left one), a leather belt with a small pouch laying against his left thigh, a red cloth-like material around his collarbone and at the sides of his face, and a pair of mismatched goggles (one on the right is bigger and wider than the one on the left, extending outwards a bit with a red lens there, as opposed to the smaller, clear lens on the left). Finally, he noticed that the young man's skin is a bit darker (not as dark as Sig or Ciel), a green goatee (with bits of chair around his jaw) And green hair that started off like that around his head before the rest of it fades out and turns to yellow, going all the way to the bottom of his neck. And the young man is staring at the boy with deep cobalt blue eyes, filled with mistrust and suspicion.

"Uh…" Just then, Pikachu took that moment to jump down onto the boy's head (accidentally pushing the helmet onto his head a bit) and jumped off as the boy tried to pull his helmet off of him.

"(Sorry Ash!)" The Pokémon rubbed his head a bit, not noticing bewildered looks he was getting.

Finally, the boy plucked it off of his head (though only far enough that his ears are still covered) and adjusted it so that it'll fit a bit better. As soon as he did, the voice the duo heard earlier suddenly exclaimed:

"What the _hell_ is that thing?" The two turned to the source-

And couldn't help but stare. What the _hell_ is _that_ creature?

It was two feet tall, having orange fur around his body though its under belly, around its eyes (which are a color of blue with a pair of goggles on top of its head) and mouth, two 'ring's around the top of its wrists where there's a pair of brown fingerless gloves, and front parts of his rather large feet have a bit of yellow on them. A pair of ears, with brown on the inside, stood up above its goggles, and it, too, also has a tail, yet…

It's standing – _standing_ like a normal human – on the young man's left shoulder, and… did the words come _from_ _its mouth?_

"Y-You," the raven haired boy stuttered, pointing a shaky finger at the small creature, "Did… Did you _talk_?"

The creature looked a put off with that. "Hey, who the hell are _you_ going around pointing fingers at people?" Yup, it did talk. "Yeesh, you've never seen an Ottsel before?"

'_Ottsel?' _The two echoed, looking at each other in surprise.

The boy slowly stood up and dusted himself off, not taking his brown eyes off of the young man, who also had his deep cobalt orbs on him. After that, the black haired boy cleared his throat, deciding to answer the green/blonde's question.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," he said, not noticing that the dark skinned male's eyes widened just a smidge, "I'm Ash. I came here to investigate something." At that, Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, settling on his right. "And this is Pikachu, my friend."

The duo in front of him gave each other a look. "Okay then, uh, Ash, Pikachu," the 'Ottsel' spoke up, quick to use the names, "That's fine and dandy an' all, but-"

"What _exactly_ are you 'investigating'?" The other male finished, his green brow raised.

"We're not entirely sure yet," Ash answered, honestly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I kinda felt… something off with this place, and tried to find it. Although me and Pikachu ended up here when we couldn't."

This time, the Ottsel raised a brow. "Alrrrriiiiight…"

"So, what's your name? I've gave you guys mine and Pikachu's."

The orange furred creature smirked. "Alright, then." He straightened himself up so he could prop his elbow on top of the green/blonde's head. "I'm Daxter, and this is my _sidekick_ Jak," he gestured to the young man he was leaning against. Jak glared up at Daxter for this, but he quickly rolled his eyes and dropped the glare.

"Anyway, Ash, you have an idea on how to get out of here?" The young man asked, crossing his arms.

The raven haired boy rubbed his chin a bit, thinking. He looked around the place for a bit before he noticed a space where there were no cells, and there were a bunch of large crates stacked together right below a very large ventilation duct. "Let's try going through there." He pointed at it.

"Alright," Jak nodded, yet he looked at the other boy, still untrusting.

Unknown to him, Ash felt the vibes coming from the other male, yet he chose not to ask about that. _'I wonder what's up with him,'_ he asked himself, before he began to lead the way.

They reached the crates and the leading boy began to climb up them, Pikachu getting off of his shoulders to go on ahead. The other duo watched them as they go up.

And Jak smirked. Putting some strength into his legs, he jumped from crate to crate, agile like a monkey. And passing the climbing duo as they go.

"Hey, no fair!" The raven haired boy childishly exclaimed. He hurried to catch up to Jak and Daxter, while Pikachu palmed his face in exasperation.

'_You just HAD to do that, didn't you Jak?' _Pikachu asked himself, making a tired look. He hurried along to catch up to them at the top.

Once he did, Jak had already walked through the large vent… with Ash badgering him as the latter followed him. "How the heck did you manage to clear that by jumping around like that?"

"Years of practice," the green/blonde answered.

"So in other words, you just cheated!" The black haired boy accused.

"No I didn't."

"Yeah you did!"

"Oh for God's sake, _shut up_!" Daxter yelled, prompting the two boys to look at him in surprise. "We _are_ escaping, aren't we?"

"Oh… right sorry," Ash rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Yeesh, you two were arguing like a couple of ten year olds!"

"(Mostly Ash though,)" Pikachu added his two cents. Then something… surprising happened.

"Yeah, mostly him though," Daxter agreed, jabbing his thumb at Ash. _That_ got everyone- and I mean _everyone_ looking at him, like he just grown a second head! "…What?"

"You…" Ash raised a finger, "understand Pikachu?"

The Ottsel blinked, confused. "Well, yeah, why do you ask?"

This time, Jak and Ash gave each other a look, surprised. "Dax…" Jak began, look up at his friend, "All I heard from him is 'Pika, Pikachu' and something similar to those."

Daxter's ears stood up straight. "What? Woah woah **woah**! Are you guys saying that you can't understand him?" The humans nodded. "Well, that was weirder than the time a Flut-flut confused me for its mom!"

Ash and Pikachu had no idea what a 'Flut-flut' is, but they got more important things to worry about. The raven haired boy continued to walk, the vent taking a right turn rather quickly, and there was an exit of the vent that was above the floor of a hallway. And everything seemed clear…

_Too_ clear.

The Trainer narrowed his eyes. "Something's not right here…"

Unfortunately, Jak didn't notice that Ash had stopped, bumping into him-

And the boy suddenly found himself flailing a bit to try to balance himself. He held himself on the tips of his toes, his back facing the exit of the vent, his arms spinning in a windmill fashion, all the while Pikachu tried to steady his Trainer's balance, and he automatically reached out to grab something.

And that something is Jak.

Unfortunately, the boy fell from the opening and onto the ground below… taking Jak, Daxter and Pikachu with him.

The next thing they knew, the quartet are in an undignified pile. Pikachu somehow found himself at the top of the pile, sitting on Jak's back, who was laying on Ash… who was also laying on Daxter (How the Ottsel ended up at the bottom is a mystery…).

"Hey! Get the hell off o' me!" Daxter exclaimed, lying under Ash's back.

"I _will_ if **Jak** gets off of me!" Ash retorted, prompting the young man to roll his eyes.

"Hey, you're the one who got us into this mess," Jak shot back.

"Well who's the guy that ran into me?"

"Hey, calm down you guys," Daxter piped up, "Be grateful that nothing didn't happen. Something bad."

Just as he said that, a female automatic voice declared, _"Alert. Prisoner escape in progress."_

An alarm began to sound off repeatedly, the room flashing red along with the alarm. _Everyone_ gave the Ottsel an evil eye. "You just **had** to say it, didn't you?" Jak demanded, using the same words the Ottsel used two years before.

"Hey, how am _I_ suppose to know that there'll be security alarms?" The Ottsel asked as the group straightened themselves up and looked around a bit. The door to their left had just closed off and the door at their front started to close.

Ash was the first to notice it. "That way!" He exclaimed, grabbing Jak's arm and charged (while dragging Jak with him) at the door, their respective partners holding on tight.

Just as it was about to close, the two humans slid under the metal door, Daxter's goggles being knocked off. When they're on the other side, Daxter quickly felt around for his goggles and looked back at the door. He quickly reached out, grabbed his goggles and pulled back just as quickly before the door closed.

After Daxter placed his goggles back on, Jak quickly grabbed him. "Let's go!"

"Wah!" Was all Daxter could manage to get out before Jak dragged his smaller friend as the four of them raced down the hall.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile…<em>

"Fifteenth day of the 5th month of the year, 1930 hours," Errol spoke into his recording device, "It seems that the Dark Warrior Program has ultimately failed; the test subject named Jak haven't made any signs of change with all the Dark Eco pumped into him. Because of this, Baron Praxis has moved on to our back-up plan; locating Mar's Tomb and find the 'object' rumored to be within it. However, at the time, we're not sure where it's located, so the Baron had most of the guards under me and Ashelin to locate clues to the Tomb's whereabouts." He paused a moment, looking over at something within a glass container. "After a short while, it seems that 'Aura' is adapting to the Dark Eco being transferred into it. Earlier, I tested a somewhat bigger amount of Dark Eco into it. The results…"

The substance within the container had turned from light blue/cyan… to a light purple, flickering once in a while, violet sparks that is Dark Eco sparking around it as it does.

He smirked. "Are quite remarkable. It is as if the two sources were once a part of each other and were reuniting, like long lost siblings. So far, the Baron and no one else knew about what I was doing, and-"

Suddenly, the alarm blared, making him sharply look at the source. He narrowed his amber orbs. "I'll get back to you later," he said, "It seems that something is wrong." He turned off his recorder, put it down, and quickly ran out of the room.

After going through several halls and turns, he charged into the main command room. "What happened?" He quickly demanded to the operators.

"Commander Errol," one of them said, "there is a prisoner escape in progress!"

The orange haired man looked surprised, which quickly turned to outrage. "**WHAT? **Who the hell is the prisoner?"

"Pulling up security screens now," another one said, quickly typing a few buttons. A few seconds later, all of the screens lit up, showing the hallways and sectors of the Fortress; though, oddly, the screen that shows the entrance is blank.

The thought left the commander's head as he spotted a few screens with two people running down the hall, having a creature riding on their shoulders. And his eyes widened when he recognized them.

'_The rat?'_ He mentally exclaimed, seeing the orange furred rodent-like creature riding on Jak's shoulder. _'And those two?' _He added, noticing the other duo, recognizing the yellow mouse-like creature on the other's shoulder. Although he has a red helmet over his head – probably to hide his short ears – he still know who it is when he noticed the strange lightning bolt-shaped marks on his face.

The lean man gritted his teeth in anger. Pointing at a nearby operator, he shouted, "Get all of the guards after them on the double! They must _not_ escape!"

"Y-Yes sir!" the unfortunate person stuttered, and started to give the command.

"As for me," Errol started out slowly before he turned and stalked out of the room, hands clenched, "I'll go and confront them myself!"

* * *

><p><strong>KG Fortress Halls; 1940 hours<strong>

"_Surrender yourself. You are under arrest,"_ the same automatic voice stated to the escaping quartet.

"SHUT UP! We've heard you the _first_ time!" Daxter shouted out at the voice.

Meanwhile, Ash was looking over his communicator trying to see where they're at. They're farther away from the prison section, yet they have been running around aimlessly, trying to find a way out. "C'mon! Can't ya at _least_ give us a clue on where the exit is?" The boy shouted at the device.

As Jak ran besides the helmet wearing boy, his eyes trailed over to the bulky gun strapped to his back. It's not like those rifles the guards had, but something told him that the gun is more powerful than it looks. He frowned. If he had a gun with him, why bother helping them get out of here instead of blasting the place down?

Another matter is the yellow creature on the other boy's shoulder. He wasn't sure why but… a part of his mind was twitching as he looked at the two. As if… As if they had met before.

But where?

The quartet came into an intersection of the hallways-

"There they are!" until they suddenly heard a guard cry out. The quartet quickly ran behind the wall they passed, using it as a shield as the guards shot at them.

"GYAAH! How'd they find us so quick?" Daxter was quick to ask, pressing his back against the wall.

"It must be the security cameras!" Ash shouted over the shots, "They must have tracked us down with them!"

"What now?" Jak was quick to demand.

The Pokémon Trainer looked over his Pokémon, who looked back at him. And the black haired boy smirked. "Pikachu, think you can give them a dose of Thunder Bolt?"

Although the other duo looked at them in confusion, Pikachu smirked back, evilly. The Pokémon chuckled evilly, rubbing his hands together in glee. "(You don't have to say it twice!)"

"What a minute, are you nuts?" Daxter exclaimed, yet it fell on deaf ears as the yellow mouse charged out of the hiding place.

Maneuvering around the shots, Pikachu charged up his attack. "(Thunder…)" His cheeks sparked with electricity before: "(BOLT!)" And discharged a bolt of lightning at the surprised guards-

Who didn't stand a chance as electricity coursed through their bodies, crying out in pain for a few seconds. When the attack ended, they fell to the ground, twitching, though still alive.

"Nice work Pikachu!" Ash praised his Pokémon, while Jak and Daxter stared in surprise.

"Holy crap…!" The Ottsel exclaimed, grimacing a bit. Leaning towards Jak, he hovered his hand next to his mouth, saying, "Remind me not to piss _him_ off…"

The green/blonde just nodded. Seeing the way Pikachu had attacked…

Looked familiar…

"C'mon, let's keep going!" Ash announced, starting to go down the path-

Until Jak grabbed him by the arm. "Hold on," he said, turning the young boy to face him, "Why the hell are you helping us?"

Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You've only given us vague answers about what you were looking for," the long eared male started off, "You have a gun strapped to your back; you have a… a _creature_ that could fire electricity from its own body! Although I'm not sure which one is more dangerous: that gun or Pikachu, yet you haven't given us a reason to trust you. So why, in the name of Eco, are you doing this?"

Silence went by between the four of them. Ash looked at Jak, who glared at him with mouth in a firm line, teeth clenched. Pikachu and Daxter looked between the two.

Finally, the brown eyed boy answered: "It's the right thing to do."

Jak blinked, his rage momentarily forgotten. "What?"

"It's the right thing to do," Ash repeated, as if the blonde/green haired male didn't hear him. "I'm not quite sure what happened to you in this place but… I think you've suffered more ways than one." Daxter flinched, averting his gaze away from the others. "Even though we've only just met, I can't leave you here in this place. Besides," the brown eyed boy made a determined look, "I'd be no better than the Krimzon Guard if I left a person in their torment."

The blue clad male stared at the mostly black clad boy, clearly surprised. He honestly didn't expect to find… a selfless person here, within these walls. Surely this boy had lived around here. Yet something told him that he isn't…

He blinked again when Ash held up his hand. "Hey, how about we start over? We… kinda got off on the wrong foot here," he added, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Jak looked at his hand. Then at his face. And sighed. "Fine," he said, taking his hand, "However," he pointed his finger at Ash, "as **soon** as we get out of here, you better explain to us about where you came from and what the hell is going on with you guys."

The helmet wearing boy shrugged. "Fair enough," he said.

As the two released their hands, Daxter and Pikachu let out sighs of relief. "(At least they're getting along…)" Pikachu said.

"You think?" Daxter rhetorically asked, propping his elbow on Jak's shoulder.

"Although," Ash started, the two returning to their escape, "It's still kinda creepy that you can understand Pikachu, Daxter…"

"Hey, I'm still weirded out that no one else but _me_ could do that!" The Ottsel exclaimed. He then grumbled, "I bet its one of those weird ass perks of being an Ottsel…"

A few more minutes of wondering around later, they came upon another intersection. For once, Daxter went silent as the four of them looked around wearily for anymore surprise attacks. As they looked around, Ash noticed something… familiar about this path.

"Hey… Have we… been here before Pikachu?" The black haired boy asked his Pokémon.

"(I'm… not sure Ash…)" The electric type answered, looking around. This intersection is shaped somewhat like a 'T', and… there's a security camera in front of another hall, while the other hallway goes further out.

Checking to make sure, the boy pulled out his communicator again, switching it to the GPS. He then zoomed the map out-

And blinked. "Hey, I think I know where we are now!" He exclaimed, getting their attention. He grabbed Jak's arm again and dragged him down the middle hallway. "C'mon!"

A few minutes of running down the hallway, they came upon a large opening… where there are a lot of KG Zoomers around.

"Holy crap," Daxter commented, "That's a lot of Zoomers."

Jak gave Ash a look. "You've been here before?"

"Yeah, a month and a half ago," the boy nodded, going over to one of the large double seated one (with the word 'Hellcat' written on the side), "Me, Pikachu and a friend of ours came here to get some weapons for the Underground."

"Underground?"

Ash paused a bit, thinking of how to answer Jak's question. "Well… they're a group of rebels the two of us are a part of, fighting to take down the Baron."

Jak perked up at that. _'A group fighting against Praxis?'_ He thought. Smirking evilly a bit, he mentally added, _'Maybe being with these guys will get me closer to the Baron.'_

"Well, what exactly are we waiting on? Christmas? We gotta get out of here **now**!" Daxter exclaimed, jumping off of Jak's shoulder and to Ash's side.

"Hang on just a second you guys," Ash suddenly spoke up, holding up his hand. "I'm getting a weird feeling from these ships."

"What kind of feeling?" The blonde/green haired male asked, raising a brow.

The black haired boy rubbed his chin. "I dunno… Something felt… off with these things…" This is too convenient. Why would there be a lot of these Zoomers hanging around here unguarded? There has to be a catch…

Choosing to follow his gut, Ash lowered his visor over his eyes, the latter turning a complete blue as the former activated his **Aura Sight** once again.

With everything in faint light blue aura, he looked at all of the Zoomers, noticing that all of them have some sort of… box within them. And he's getting some negative vibes from them.

He looked over at the rest of the hanger, trying to look for clues… something to help them escape before the KG gets here. He looked over at the entrance of the hanger, and… noticed something.

Ash quickly jogged over to the thing, leaving the other three next to the Zoomer, to investigate. As he got near, he noticed that it has some sort of… part, shaped somewhat like the other parts that are in the Zoomers.

If his hunch is right…

He quickly turned off his **Aura Sight** and looked at the others. "I've got an idea!"

* * *

><p>Errol, and a group of Krimzon Guards he brought together, ran down the halls trying to locate the escaped prisoner and his accomplices.<p>

How in the hell did that boy get in? He thought angrily to himself. No one is that stupid – or bold – enough to _actually_ break into the Fortress!

Well he's not going to let the four of them escape; _especially_ that Eco Freak! Heaven or Hell be damned, no one – **no **_**one**_** – **escapes him!

"Where are they now?" Errol roared into his communicator, at the operators.

"_**Sir, it appears that they're now in the hanger room!"**_ One of them frantically told him, _**"One of them are checking out the Zoomers and then headed towards the entrance. I'm not sure what he's doing but- wait, I think he's talking to them and- He- why did he point at the camera and- Oh my god, is that creature charging electricity-"**_

An explosion occurred on the other end as the operator scream, before static was heard. The Commander bit back a curse. "Move to the hanger!" He ordered, "NOW!"

The group ran down the halls and corners to reach their destination; the minutes doing so felt like hours. As they got near, they suddenly heard engine roaring. They made it inside just in time to see one of the Hellcat cruisers flying out of the hanger.

The orange haired man gritted his teeth, digging into his pocket. "No they won't…" He growled pulling out a bulky black rectangular, flipped the cap off showing a red button and pressed it-

In an instant, the runaway Zoomer exploded in a large fireball. Hot metal and debris fell to the ground, the people who happened to be around there quickly running for cover, screaming for their lives. Moments after the explosion, Errol, with a neutral expression, walked over to the entrance to the hanger, and looked towards the ground.

Seeing nothing but the destroyed parts of the Hellcat.

"Escapees terminated Commander!" One of the guards, who had walked over to him at the time, announced, saluting.

Errol only gave him a glance before he looked back down on the ground. And narrowed his eyes.

'_Something doesn't feel right,'_ he thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

While it is true that there are Zoomers here in the hanger, those that were lucky would be able to snatch one of them… before one of the Commanders pressed the detonator to make it explode. Even if – by a slim chance – that they somehow _survived_ it, they would possibly be dead in a few minutes, after being burned alive; or the speed of how the person would fall and how hard they'll impact on the ground.

Then something _clicked_ in his head. _'Wait a minute…'_ Before arriving here, one of the operators informed him that one of them was checking out a Zoomer before going to the entrance of the hanger…

He looked in the direction of where a hidden security camera is- _was_, seeing what looked like metal being busted open… from the inside, electricity sparking outward a couple of times. He narrowed his eyes. There's no way the Eco Freak, or that orange rodent would be able to do that. Unless…

Errol looked back outside. "I want every guard outside to the streets of Haven City," he ordered, "Those four are around here somewhere, go out there and find them. And when you do, bring them back here!"

"So you think they're alive…?" One of them asked.

"They're alive alright," the orange haired man answered, turning to them. "What are you waiting for? GO!" He snapped, pointing at them.

They all jumped before they quickly ran out of the hanger.

Once he was alone, he took one last peek outside, the hanger slowly closing behind him. "…How did they figure out that the hanger could only open in the presence of a Krimzon Guard Zoomer?"

When the hanger doors closed, though, he decided not to think too hard about it. Right now, though, he got an Eco Freak and his breakers to find…

* * *

><p>Unknown to Errol, somewhere nearby the destroyed Hellcat, hiding in an alleyway, the quartet pressed themselves against the wall, Ash peeking out from behind the corner a little, his <strong>Aura Sight <strong>activated once again. Once the secret entrance to the Fortress had finally closed, however, the raven haired boy quickly turned it off, sighing in relief.

"We're safe," he announced, sliding to the ground. "For now…"

The other three took that as a sign to do the same, sighing in relief. "Oh man, who'da thought that those Zoomers have _explosives_ implanted in them?" Daxter exclaimed, taking out a random fan and used it to fan some air his way.

"Yeah…" Jak nodded. Speaking of which, how did Ash knew about them? Along with the hanger doors responding to the Zoomers, and that hidden security camera? …And not to mention the strange… feeling that he felt from that guy. He wasn't sure what it is, but…

Everything about this guy and 'Pikachu' are strange. Suspicious even.

Feeling that it's time to get some answers, Jak sat up from the wall he was leaning against to stare at the other male. "Okay, we're out of there, so don't you think it's _time_ to tell us what the **hell** is going one?"

Ash and Pikachu looked at him, surprised, then at each other. Then at Daxter, who just shrugged. And the duo sighed. "Okay then," the brown eyed boy said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I _did_ promise. But first." He quickly stood up before he pulled Jak up and dragged the surprised male out in the open. "We need to look like we're taking a casual stroll, having a pointless conversation."

"Why?"

"That way, people won't look suspicious and point the KG towards us," Ash explained, letting Jak go. Then he held out his hand, as if offering the green/blonde male to go first. "Shall we?"

"Fine," the long eared teen rolled his eyes, both their partners climbing onto their shoulders as they started to walk.

"So, what do you want to ask first?" The brown eyed boy asked, having his hands behind his head.

Jak gave him a look. "Alright, first off, where the _hell_ am I?"

Ash and Pikachu gave him a surprised look. "What do you mean, don't you live here?"

"Actually, I was _imprisoned _for two years!" The duo winced at the sarcasm dripping from his mouth. "So I haven't _really_ got a good look at the city, other than from the few times the Krimzon Guard took me around in their prisoner transports."

"Uh… right then," the other boy scratched his cheek a little. "Anyways, in that case, let me and Pikachu be the first to introduce you to Haven City."

Jak raised a brow. "Haven City?"

"If you ask me, this city is _nothing_ but 'safe'," Daxter added in his two cents.

"Yeah, well, anywhere in this city, or outside the walls, **nowhere** is safe," Ash remarked, crossing his arms with an annoyed look. "Anywhere in here, even if we _did_ escape that damn place," that was the first time the three of them heard him use a curse, "it **still** felt like we're still his prisoners…"

"(…In other words, everyone in here is in that guy's hands,)" Pikachu took that time to speak, standing up on Ash's shoulder and crossing his arms. "(And he doesn't give a damn about what happens to everyone in this place…)"

After hearing those words, Daxter made a face. "_Yeesh! _Talk about an apathic bastard!"

'_Apathy didn't come __**close**__ to describe him,'_ Jak angrily thought, narrowing his eyes into angry slits.

_Somewhere nearby…_

"Osha-Oshawott!" The otter-like creature waved its stubby white arm at the little boy while holding onto its seashell, prompting the young boy to chase after him. The two of them laughed merrily as the boy chased the otter, snatching the seashell, and ran away to get away from the blue and white otter, in a small game they've developed.

The old man with them watched the two go at it for a moment before keeping his eyes out for someone.

However, the longer he waited, it seemed that Kaedan had either fled (which is unlikely)… or was perhaps terminated.

He sighed. Oh well, he can continue without him; he was a good comrade, but, sometimes, sacrifices are necessary…

"…exactly is that weird thing you did back there at the hanger?" He suddenly heard someone coming towards him. Behind him, the boy and the otter also heard the voice.

Heading towards them is a young man with green/blonde hair with an orange rodent-like creature riding on his left shoulder, with another young man with a yellow mouse-like creature on his shoulder as well.

The young man looked familiar-

Then he remembered. _'Ah, it's that young man I've encountered before,'_ he thought, making a faint – _very_ faint – smile.

"Well, it's… sort of an ability I've always had," the other replied, putting his hands behind his head, "I didn't know I had it until I was around… fifteen or something? I don't remember really…"

The green/blonde young man raised a brow with an incredulous look. "So you didn't figure out you had that ability until a year or so ago?"

The black clad boy nodded. But as he opened his mouth to say something else-

"Well, quite unusual for young men to be out after dark."

Until another voice spoke up. Along with a familiar feeling Ash had a month and a half before.

Looking to the source, they found an old man, looking at them with very pale blue eyes, and long white/pale gray hair that grew mostly along the sides of his face. He had a head cap over his head, where an oval piece of ornament hang over his forehead. His clothes consisted of a blue robe, with darker blue pieces at his front (looked to have been held by a light orange sash) and on his sleeves (the same light orange on the insides), extending from a white clothe that hung around his collar bone, where a dull green necklace where a yellow gem is impeded in the middle. Around his forearms are brown leather armband, the same color as his boots with white wrappings around them, though his left boot is torn off, exposing his toes. Finally, the old man seemed to use an old walking stick as the means to help him walk.

Next to him is a little boy, who looked no older than four with bits of green hair poking out from under a leather cap. He looked at them with a pair of large deep cobalt blue, though mostly Daxter and Pikachu. Not like the old man and most of the people in the city, the boy's skin is darker (around the same shade as Jak's actually). He wore a pair of blue overalls over a white tank-top, held in by a white sash around his waist, and a pair of brown wristbands. The child's feet are bare, and around his neck, held by a leather cord, is an amulet of sorts. It was made of some sort of orange material, with a design that looked something like a yin-yang symbol, except that the points on either end of the trinket extended beyond the radius that formed a tooth-like end on both sides.

The little boy – and Ash barely saw something white and blue behind the boy – quickly hid behind the old man, shyly peeking out a bit to look at them.

For some reason, the little boy looked… familiar.

"Well," Jak began, crossing his arms, starting at the old man, "is it strang_er_ for an old man and a little kid to be out at night too?"

The old man didn't look put off with that, merely stroking his long beard. "Hm. Touché."

Ash took his eyes off of the kid, as Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder, to look at the elder. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Well… you may call me Kor," he answered, the mouse Pokémon walking pass him to look at the boy – and something else behind the kid – then continued, "As for why I am out here, I'm merely waiting for someone. Though," he looked around before adding, "I believe something had happened to him."

Meanwhile, Pikachu had caught a glimpse of the little kid, and the other… thing behind him. "(Huh?)" He let out, tilting his head to the side. It's gotten everyone's attention, them moving a bit to look at it.

Said thing is a bipedal sea otter-like creature with a rounded, spherical white head, with small, triangular dark-blue ears to the sides. Its eyes are large, dark and ovoid in shape; its dark-orange nose is shaped like an oval on its side. It also has a couple of freckles under its eyes, and light blue bubble-esque features composing a 'collar' around its neck. Its torso is light blue, and decorated with a pale yellow seashell in the center. It has small, somewhat rounded stubs (that are apparently arms), with its feet colored dark blue with three toes each. Finally, it also possesses a slightly plank-shaped dark blue tail.

Ash blinked a bit as he looked at it before going down to his knee. "Hey, it looks kinda like a Pokémon." He noted.

Jak had a strange look on his face when he heard the unfamiliar word. "'Pokeymon'?" He echoed, tilting his head a bit. What the hell kind of name is that?

Pikachu sniffed the unfamiliar creature a bit, taking in its scent, the otter-creature watching him as he does. Then the electric-type blinked. "(Yeah, she is a Pokémon,)" he announced, causing Daxter to blink.

"Wait, it's a 'she'?" He asked, prompting the others to look at him funny as he scratched his head. "I thought it's a 'he'."

The she-otter blinked up at him. "(You can understand us?)"

"Ah, man I _swear_!" The Ottsel jumped down to the ground, holding the side of his temple. "This whole Ottsel business is tripping me out! I didn't have to deal with **this **two years ago!"

Although the kid had no idea what's going on, he moved over to the she-otter and held her protectively. Kor, upon seeing this, sighed. "Ever sense he found the small creature, he had gotten attached to it," he explained, "We had no idea what it is, but the only clue we have is what it always say: Oshawott."

Ash tilted his head at the new creature. "Oshawott, huh? Is that what you're called?"

'Oshawott' just nodded. But before anyone else could say anything, Pikachu suddenly heard something. The Mouse Pokémon picked up the scent that came with it and _growl_. Upon hearing that, Ash immediately knew that something is wrong.

_Very_ wrong.

"Oh crap, it's the KG!" He exclaimed.

"WHAT?"

After Daxter's panicked exclamation, Jak made a grim look. "I guess they must've figured out the trick you've pulled back there."

"Then let's not stick around and amscray!" Daxter exclaimed, before he ran for it.

"C'mon, let's go!" Ash said, lightly taking the kid's hand and leading him away with Oshawott and Pikachu following.

Kor looked a bit startled as Jak grabbed him by the arm and the two of them hurried away, all of them running to hide from the Krimzon Guard.

'_Ash and Pikachu had picked up some new allies in the form of Jak and Daxter. Yet, little did the four realize, the trials they'll be facing within the city of Haven, had just started…'_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: A matter of Jak's facial hair<strong>

As the quartet ran down the halls of the KG Fortress, Daxter kept looking at Jak. Mostly his face.

At one point, he started to imagine what Jak's face would look like with different facial hair styles.

He pictured Jak having a full blown beard around his jaw. The Ottsel winced, then shook his head.

Then he imagined Jak having a mustache. Then ran through different styles of it. But Daxter only made a look of disgust and shook his head.

He then pictured Jak without a goatee at all. Daxter made a blank look at that.

"Nah, he looked better with the goatee," he said, waving it off, getting a confused look from his friend.

The Ottsel soon forget the images moments afterward.

* * *

><p><strong>FINISHED! WHOO-RAH!<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** Things pretty much went downhill, with the KG after them and all. However, they'll get a **_**HUGE**_** surprise, when they see the results of the Program the Baron had done to Jak. After an unexpected rescue, Ash and Ciel could finally do their mission. Yet, what will happen to Jak and Daxter? Will they stay with them, or will they go? ****Stay tuned for the next chapter of:**_** Aura Renegade!**_

**(Trivia: In the original version, Daxter came in from the other way while seeing Jak transform into Dark Jak the first time, freeing himself. Kor and the kid are also the ones to meet the duo when they escaped the Fortress, the former telling Jak where he is. The KG also attacked, where Jak had to fend them off. Also, the mission at the Pumping Station is Jak and Daxter's second mission in Haven City. And, personally, Jak looks good with the goatee. It kinda grew on me. Also, I sort of based Ash's **Aura Sight **off of Pokémon Adventures: Black and White saga.)**

**Review for the sake of the gang!**


	6. Chapter 5

**I've probably gone nuts…**

**Disclaimer:**** The Pokémon series and the Jak and Daxter series are owned by Nintendo and Naughty Dog respectively; I own my OCs though.**

**Edit: I've fixed up the chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Surprises at Every Turn. <strong>

The Krimzon Guard ran around the place, all of them desperate to find the fugitives. None of them wanted to face the wrath of Commander Errol – or worse, the wrath of Baron Praxis!

"Have you found them?" The leader of the group asked through his walkie-talkie.

"_No, not yet sir!"_ One of them replied on the other line.

"Keep looking!" The leader shut off the device and resumed searching, going by an alleyway.

Yet, if he had gone back and looked, he would've seen the 'fugitives' (along with three more beings), hiding out in the inner most parts and out of view.

The little boy held onto Ash's leg, his blue eyes wide and lips trembling, whimpering so softly that you can barely hear it. (**If** you listen hard enough that is.)

The helmet wearing boy and Oshawott tried their best to comfort the boy the best they could, the former rubbing the child's head while the Pokémon gently patted him on the back.

The rest are pressing their backs against the wall, trying to be silent as death itself. Yet the silence had become… unbearable.

Looking over to Kor, the brown eyed boy made an apologetic look at him (even though a lot of his senses were standing on end around him). "We're sorry for dragging you guys into this," he spoke, his voice low enough for no one to hear him.

The old man merely shook his head. "It doesn't matter;" he responded in an equally low voice, "to the guards, anyone who looked suspicious will be killed on the spot. Whether they are innocent or not."

Upon hearing that, the disgust they felt towards Praxis only increased ten-fold.

"Well… we can't stick around here forever," Ash decided, "We need to find a way to get past the guards, and get out of here without harming everyone else."

Jak made a thoughtful look before looking over to the black clad boy. "Hey, do you think you could do that thing again like you did at the Fortress?"

Although Kor made a curious look at them, Ash nodded. "Right." He lowered his visor over his eyes, gently nudging the little boy away and closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he opened them, his entire eyes glowed a light blue.

He never notices Jak flinch a bit, or the kid doing the same. Nor did he notice a look of shock on Oshawott's face. And not even Kor widening his eyes a bit before he made the faintest of smirks.

'_I see… It's been a while since I've saw one of them…'_ The old man thought, looking over the boy in front of him.

Oblivious to what's going on around him, the boy did a quick scan of his surroundings. The citizens walking around – maybe they were taking a midnight stroll? – are covered in very faint blue aura, while the guards searching for them are in hues of red. He quickly searched around for a way to get them out of this mess.

The problem is, the guards seemed to be _everywhere_!

There has to be at least an opening somewhere-

Wait. What about the back way?

He quickly looked behind the group (not noticing the strange violet aura around Kor), searching out beyond where there might be a way around the guards. The back way _seemed_ clear enough… but for how long? Making his eyes return to normal, he lifted his visor and said, quietly, "C'mon guys, we should probably head out this way. Quickly, and quietly…"

The only thing they could to not set off the guards is nodding before, as quietly as they could, they walked out of the alleyway. Ash peeked out first, looking around for any of the guards. There is none, so far. He did a 'come on' gesture behind him before the group hurried on.

They continued to do this for a few more minutes. They nearly had some close calls, almost getting into the KG's sight.

It was when they got to a more, wider part of the Slums where… well, things happen. (Because no matter how hard you try, something is **bound** to go wrong. Murphy's Law had never been wrong before.)

Ash and Jak wearingly looked around the area, each keeping an eye and an ear out for some of the KG that are searching for them.

"Okay… we're in the clear so far…" Ash stated to the group, "But we should keep a low profile in case there's still the KG around."

Jak nodded. Because, honestly, the last thing he wanted is to get captured by the KG and put back in that… _horrid_ place!

Kor, however, heard something and looked to the source. And he had a look of genuine alarm on his face. "Oh dear… Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time…"

"Why?" Ash asked, turning his head to look at the old man-

And saw why. "Oh crap…"

Jak could pretty much see what's wrong in his peripheral vision, seeing a couple of guards coming into the area. However, they didn't seem to be in a rush to frantically find something. "They're probably not with the guards that are searching for us," he said, quietly so that the guards won't hear them.

"Right," Ash nodded, his voice just as quiet, "But better safe than sorry, right? Let's keep a low profile."

Jak nodded. But before they could continue on ahead, the leader of the small group of guards declared:

"By order of his eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring Underground fugitives. Surrender and die!"

After that, everyone around them chatter fearfully to themselves. Though, Pikachu and Ash panicked on the inside, since the two of them are part of the Underground, and trying desperately not to panic.

However, the only one not concerned by this is Daxter, who caught something from what the guard said. He meekly walked to the guard and said, "Aaah, excuse me, sir…" When he got the guards' attention, along with the group (Pikachu and Oshawott's eyes went so small they almost look like dots, Ash had an incredulous look with his jaw lowered, Jak and Kor merely palmed their faces and the kid watched on from behind Ash) he continued, "Don't you mean 'surrender… _or_die'! ?"

"Hey wait a second!" The other guard spoke up before he pointed at Ash and Pikachu, "Isn't that the boy and creature that were running around for a while?"

"Yeah, it is!" The last one exclaimed, recognizing them.

Ash stood still. Then: "Run guys."

Ash, Pikachu, Oshawott, and Daxter screamed for their lives as they (along with Kor, Jak, and the kid) ran as fast as their legs could carry them (although Ash had to grab the kid while Jak – amazingly – did the same with Kor).

This startled the guards but the leader quickly recovered, digging out his communicator and yelled into it. "Fugitives on the loose! Requesting back up!"

With the group, they continued to run. "I'M SURPRISED YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A _JUVINILE _RECORD!" Daxter screamed, somehow matching the speed the others were going.

"Hey the first time we got here they wanted to arrest us for 'suspicious activity'!" Ash retorted, "Even though we haven't done **anything** wrong!"

"Yeah, well- AH!" Daxter suddenly screamed out as a shot nearly hit his foot.

At that, Jak dared a peek behind-

"WOAH!" And he quickly dodged some shot being made at him. Holy- they look kinda like Red Eco. But they acted more like… _Yellow_ Eco the way it was shot at them.

"HOLY (BEEP)ING SHIT!" The kid covered his mouth in shock at the language the Ottsel shouted. "THEY'RE SHOOTING AT US!" Daxter screamed hysterically, as the shot whizzed pass him.

"Pikachu if we somehow survive this, _remind_ me to **not** touch anything Prof. Oak finds again!" Ash shouted over the shots.

"(We don't know if we'll _live _this long!)" Pikachu pointed out, not caring who could understand him at the moment.

Apparently, the guards just won't let up, shoving pedestrians out of the way. Ash looked back at them, irritated on the fact that these guys won't let up! He lowered the kid on the ground, and asking, "Think you can run like this?"

The kid nodded and ran along the ground, soon after Ash let him loose. Now without the weight of the kid, Ash exclaimed to Jak, "You take them somewhere safe, we'll hold them off!"

Jak nodded at him. "Alright, be careful!" And he continued to run with the kid, Oshawott and Daxter running by him.

Trusting that Jak could keep them safe, Ash slowed his pace as he and Pikachu glared back at the guards. "Get ready Pikachu," he said.

Pikachu gave him a long look. "(Are you going to be okay with this?)" He asked.

The raven haired boy lowered his gaze from the Pokémon. "I'm not going to use it on them," he said, "They're not Metal Heads, where we had to kill to defend ourselves."

Pikachu nodded, understanding his reasons. "(Alright then.)" Pikachu quickly jumped off of Ash's shoulder, and head-butted the leader guard, taking the other two by surprise.

"What the-" the second one wasn't able to finish his sentence when Ash (who quickly closed the distance between him and the other) literally pimp slapped him with the butt end of the gun. Then he swiped his leg under the guard's, making him fall to the ground and smacked his head with the butt of the Morph-Gun, knocking him out.

Pikachu had already taken out the other two guards, looking a bit smug. "(Piece of cake!)"

…Until they heard the tall-tale sound of Zoomers coming at them. They looked at the source, seeing a few KG members coming up at them on their single-light Zoomers.

Ash made an irritated look. "Crap."

**Jak's Group; 2010 hours**

"Bad day, bad day, _bad day_!" Daxter exclaimed, continuing to run for his life.

"(But it's night,)" Oshawott pointed out.

"Who cares at the moment?" The Ottsel retorted.

Kor, who was let down as they slowed their pace a little, looked at Jak. "Should you truly trust him to do this?"

"Hey, he helped me and Daxter escape from the _good_ Baron's prison," Jak answered, and Kor caught the sarcasm dripping around the word 'good'. "That should count for something."

"Hey, I hate to cut into your chatter, _but we've got company_!" Daxter exclaimed, pointing at the other guards that came in from another direction.

Jak narrowed his eyes, as they all stopped. "You guys take cover, I'll hold them off!" He ordered as he rushed forward and slammed a kick into one of the Krimzon Guards, before he punched a second one.

"Okay folks, nothing to see here, let's move it!" Daxter decide to take matter into his own hands, pushing the old man and kid (and Oshawott) away from the scene.

Meanwhile, Jak was busying himself with kicking some KG ass, slugging one on his left, drop kicking one in front of him, and even doing an uppercut. Normally, an average person wouldn't be able to do this sort of thing; and something at the back of his mind seemed to… enjoy this violence-

Wait, what?

"Hang on Jak, Imma comin'!" Daxter suddenly exclaimed, beating up a guard with – of all things – a frying pan! He finished off the guard he was fighting by smacking him at the back of his head, knocking him out. "Whew! Who'da thought that these babies could pack a _punch_?" Daxter exclaimed, looking over his 'weapon' with a smirk.

Jak merely rolled his eyes and the two of them resumed unleashing hell on them-

Jak howled in pain when he felt some sort of… shock, suddenly struck his nerves. He could barely hear Daxter calling out to him in shock as he automatically fell to his knees, stunned.

It seemed that one of the guards took the distracted time to land a blow on him.

However, he had also unknowingly unlocked Pandora's Box, because that one shock, forcibly made Jak recall the experiments, the torture, and the god awful _pain_ he had went through day after day for _two __**years**__…_!

One thought had entered his mind:

_**Kill!**_

And just like that, something… violently changed within Jak, violet electricity coursing around his body. He screamed, clutching his face as he slowly stood up. His voice started to become raw and guttural as his breathing quickened. All he could feel is pain – pain when he felt his entire body shifting… _changing_ into some… _unnatural _form (Oshawott quickly pressed the kid against Kor, covering his face as she blocked his ears).

He heard and felt his heart pounding rapidly as his fingernails are forcibly reshaped into black – pitch black – claws, his muscles throbbing as they began to bulge- expanding a bit with this… raw energy, his canines elongating into an inch-long, yet very sharp fangs, his hair and skin bleaching impossibly pale, a pair of black, twisted horns sprouted from his head.

It was done. The transformation is complete.

His… _its _arms fell limply to its sides, head bowed with violet lightning coursing around it, not noticing or caring if anyone who saw this had their eyes completely wide – in shock, surprise, horror, it didn't care – staring at it.

The guard who shocked him was terrified beyond reason, looking at… at what used to be a young man, turning into this… this _thing_! Breathing quickly to calm himself, he took a step back-

The beast's head snapped up at the sound and turned to him.

And he saw nothing but pitch black, empty, eyes yet madness they radiated scorched as fiercely as the desert sun.

Jak suddenly pounced at the guard with surprising speed, claws drawn back-

And a scream of bloody murder could be heard.

And the scream could be heard by both Ash and Pikachu, who both froze in horror at the sound (the former more so when he felt a familiar wave of negative energy), after the two had knocked out the guards that tried to do them in.

"What in the name of Arceus is that? ?" Ash exclaimed, his face having gone somewhat pale at the sound of that scream.

"(C'mon! Jak and the others might be in danger!)" Pikachu exclaimed, before he took off at the source of the noise, Ash following him in pursuit.

Back with the other group, a corpse lay in front of the transformed Jak, blood dripping from his 'claws', and he stared down at it.

Daxter, a _bit_ unnerved by what his friend had done, tried to speak to him-

Until what seemed to be a carrier floated down to the area and more of the Krimzon Guard troops started to pour out of it, each aiming their rifles at the potential enemy.

Jak gnarled his teeth at them, then rushed forward, the suddenness of the attack taking them by surprise and sliced through a guard with his claws, ribbons of blood sprouting from his body, and spared no time in getting to the next target.

One of the guards, terrified out of his mind, shouted, "Shoot that thing! Shoot! _Shoot_!" However, the order had fallen on deaf ears as the monster boy heard him and quickly dashed over to the guard in question, silencing him quickly.

Kor, Daxter, and Oshawott continued to watch on as the once young man continued to kill the guards, in a mad bloodlust with frightening ferocity. Daxter slowly moved his hand to cover his mouth. _'Oh my god… What did they __**do**__ to him in that prison? ?'_

It was as if… as if this is some sort of monstrous dark side of his friend! That electricity… it was… Oh god, those monsters!

Soon, the guards that was in the area (long deserted since the civilians had ran away at the sight of the troops) are lying dead on the floor, splotches of blood littered the floor, and some of it found their way on Jak, who stood there with his head bowed, his arms by his sides… seemingly _relishing _the scent of blood and power he had felt. And it was a very good thing the kid's eyes and ears are covered, so that the little guy won't see, and hear, what was happening.

It was at that moment that Ash and Pikachu came to the scene, and quickly stopped in their tracks as they took in the scene before them. "Oh my-" Ash covered his mouth in shock, his eyes widened in horror at the amount of dead – so many _dead_ – bodies that lay on the ground. And standing in the middle is… _'Jak…?'_

It certainly looked like him, and wearing the same clothes as him… yet it looked… _different._

By his feet, Pikachu immediately felt – and knew – that something is wrong. _Terribly _wrong in fact! He growled at the Jak look-alike, his cheeks sparking yet he didn't dare to make a move.

Ash, though, didn't get the warning, staring at what looked like Jak. He slowly blinked, before he slowly, slowly, moved over to the other male. Pikachu and Oshawott cried out at him, to warn of the danger he's getting himself in (as Kor silently watched), yet he ignored them. Daxter also slowly approached Jak, moving just as slowly as the black clad boy.

"Jak?" The Ottsel let out, his voice higher than usual, "Jak… you still there buddy?" Pikachu stared at Daxter in shock; _that's __**Jak**_? What in the hell had happened to him?

Ash, however, didn't hear Daxter, still inching closer to him. He didn't even notice that Jak was analyzing the boy with his peripheral vision.

'_Who is that?'_ Jak, the original Jak, asked himself within him. It was clear that he didn't recognize the other boy, his anger and the Dark Eco coursing inside him impairing his memory. _'Is he an enemy? One of the Baron's guards?' _He couldn't tell. He felt some… strange waves around this person.

Anger and frustration filled him again, letting out a menacing growl that made Ash, who was half-way to him, stop in his tracks. The two of them stared at one another for ten agonizing seconds. Finally, Ash opened his mouth and said:

"Jak?"

Then all hell broke loose.

The other side of Jak suddenly rushed at Ash, who cried out in surprise. Pikachu quickly rushed in with a streak of white light following him and rammed into Jak's side, making the two of them tumbled sideways. With a roar of fury, Jak quickly took hold of the Pokémon, not even feeling the electric-type biting one of his exposed fingers, and hurled him away, plowing into Daxter.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, before he had to back up quickly to dodge the swipes that Jak threw at him. He didn't come out unscathed, though, as he had a couple of cuts on his face and arms, even his shirt has some holes on it!

"Boy! You have to use your weapon!" Kor called out to him as the Trainer continued to dodge Jak's attacks, even bringing out the Morph-Gun to block most of them.

"No way!" Ash shouted, rejecting the idea. "Something is going on with Jak and I'm going to find out what it is!"

And there's also the fact that Jak could still be in there somewhere. He couldn't think of attack an individual, nor kill them in cold blood. It was one thing with Metal Heads, violent, deadly creatures that could kill him within a moment's notice. But on a human being (like Jak)…

He could never have it in him to kill anyone. Not even the Krimzon Guard, despite the fact that they, too, are a threat. Which is the reason why, whenever he almost encounter them, he quickly hides away somewhere where they won't be able to find them if they raised the city alarms; yet when they _do _encounter some of them, he and Pikachu would quickly knock them out before escaping. His heart wouldn't allow him to take a life, human _and_ Pokémon.

Going into his thoughts had cost him when Jak knocked the Morph-Gun out of Ash's hands and pinned the boy to the ground, choking him as his helmet fell off, exposing his black hair and short ears.

"(ASH!)" Pikachu exclaimed from his spot, he, Daxter and Oshawott were too petrified to move.

"Jak, don't do it!" Daxter yelled, trying get his friend back to his scenes.

Oshawott wasn't able to say, or do anything. The only thing she could do is to make sure that the kid (who started to squirm a bit at being forcibly pressed against the older man) won't see and hear what's going to be a grisly scene.

Jak didn't hear them, raising his hand high, his claws ready to rend. The only thing Ash could do is try to pull Jak's other hand off of his neck, yet his actions stilled when he caught sight of the terrible, merciless grin Jak had made. Violet electricity cracked around his fingers, getting Ash's attention briefly. Violet… the same color as that ooze that poor from the Metal Head corpses he had seen from time to time. And the same color as the drawing Tess had made, representing-

"JAK STOP!" Ash screamed out just as Jak swung at him, ready to rip the flesh off of his bones, the black haired boy closing his eyes to not see the end that will happen to him.

It never came.

He held his breathe, his eyes still shut. Yet, nothing happened. Isn't death supposed to be… painful? Daring to draw in a breath, he slowly cracked open his eye-

And nearly crapped himself when he spotted one of Jak's long nails – literally – about to poke through his right eye. In fact, Jak's hand is a few inches away from ripping his face off. He looked into the pitch black eyes of Jak, who merely… stared at him. But why?

Not knowing it, Kor, Oshawott, Pikachu and Daxter each had a surprised look on their faces.

Another surprise came when Jak… lowered his arm, his eyes widened somewhat, the hostility slowly fading the longer he started at the black haired boy.

"…_Ash?"_

The said boy blinked stupidly. "Jak?"

Slowly, Jak released his grip on Ash's neck, slowly backing away from him, staring at him in growing confusion. Ash slowly sat up, still looking at him. For just a moment… he was _there._ He was lucid enough to understand something was very, _very_ wrong. The other male's breathing quickened when he caught sight of his hands and the violet electricity rippling over his skin, a panicked sound catching in his throat.

"_W-What? What's going on? ! Why am I-?_"

Jak fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands as the violet lightning – Dark Eco – sparked around him some more. In a few moments, spores of the same violet light floated off of him, his horns and nails dissolving as his hair, skin, teeth and body returned to normal. The young man took slow, deep breathes, trying to calm himself.

With the danger now over, Oshawott uncovered the boy's ears, looking over at the young man. The kid moved his face from Kor, and looked around the area his eyes wide. What in the world happened here? With so much blood… He looked over at the green/blonde man, still kneeling on the ground, his hands covering his face.

Ash, meanwhile, slowly pushed himself up to stand, looking over at Jak. Then he approached him, not caring that the others with them had seen his ears. When the raven haired boy neared him, he slowly placed his knees onto the ground. "Jak, are…" he trailed off, not sure how to finish it at first, then, "are you okay?"

At first, the green/blonde male didn't answer. He slowly removed his hands, his face… blank. Even his deep cobalt blue eyes are blank.

"Something's… happening to me…" He said, before he looked down at his hands. "Something that_ bastard_ did… I-I can't… I can't control it!" He clenched them, tearing his gaze away from them as he forced his eyes to close.

Ash merely stared at him with his chocolate brown orbs, as if analyzing him. What he said, along with the Dark Eco he had saw earlier… It all made sense.

"I'm sorry," Jak's voice brought the raven haired boy out of his thoughts, blinking a bit. "I almost killed you… when that… that _thing_ was in control! I…" He shuddered, trying to not look at the bodies that are scattered around.

Ash still stared at him. Then he grinned and waved it off. "Aw, don't worry," he said, "that's not the first time I've had a brush with death."

At that, _everyone_ (except the kid who was looking between them in confusion; and of course Pikachu, who was literally with him all this time) looked at him in surprise. "What?" They all exclaimed.

"Yup," the raven haired boy nodded, "I've went through a lot of them, it's not even funny…"

"…"

"Anyways, I don't think it's your fault that this happened," Ash told the older teen. He scratched the back of his head. "Besides, I'm just glad that either of us doesn't have to end each other."

Jak stared at him for a bit, then smirked and shook his head a little. It was then that he – finally – noticed Ash's ears.

Ash noticed the stare and became a bit… embarrassed. "Oh, uh, you must be wondering about my ears, right?"

The others, who didn't know, also noticed the ears. "Uh…"

"We'll explain later," Ash and Pikachu (in his language) responded to Daxter's question. Ash quickly retrieved his helmet (placing it on as he does so) and his Morph-Gun.

"Okay," Ash spoke up as he walked back to Jak and helped him up, "we better get out of here before-"

"FREEZE!" A random Krimzon Guard trooper suddenly shouted, as a lot of the KG entered the area and pointed their guns at the group (the partners and the boys holding onto each other comically). "You are under arrest for suspicion in the deaths of the other guards!" A few Zoomers also appeared and pointed their guns at them, some of the guns charging up as a bit of lasers point at different parts of their bodies. They're surrounded.

After a moment, Ash muttered, "Oh snap…"

Suddenly, the sound of an engine revving could be heard, startling those in the area. "What the-?"

Whatever the guard was going to say left his mind as a large heavy-double Zoomer 'ran' over him and a few other guards, the person driving it did a 360-degree spin, and getting dangerously close to the two males, who both screamed in horror as it got close-

And came to a complete stop, one of the wings barely grazed the tip of Ash's nose. At the two's close encounter with death, Daxter – who was watching with wide eyes – fainted, falling out of Pikachu's grip. The Mouse Pokémon poked the Ottsel a bit, the kid doing the same.

The two males looked up at the driver…

Seeing a familiar pink/red haired girl, sitting in the driver seat, smirking down at them (or maybe she was smirking at their expressions). "Hey there," she greeted, "Your ride is here! And just so you know," she made a smug grin, "my rates ain't cheap!"

Ash blinked then grinned up at the girl. "Ciel!"

Jak gave the raven haired youth a look. "Who?"

"She's the friend of mine I told you about," Ash quickly explained before looking at the female. "Man, am I glad to see you!"

"Hey, I can't let you hog _all_ of the screen time in this chapter!" Ciel retorted, putting a hand on her hip. At the last part of her sentence, Ash and Jak gave a surprised look to no one in particular (the readers).

"Who the hell is that girl?" One of the guards questioned, getting the three's attention back at the situation at hand.

"Hey, it's that Wastelander girl who caused havoc at the Bazaar section of the city a couple months ago!" One of them exclaimed, recognizing the female.

"Get in you two!" Ciel ordered the two males, pulling out a pistol and started to shot at them. Pikachu also responded by using Thunder Bolt on some of the guards, along with a few Zoomers.

The two males quickly nodded before Jak quickly jumped on. "Wait!" They heard Kor cry out. They turned to him to see the older man quickly grab the little boy and nudged him forward, "Take this boy with you!"

"But-"

"Don't worry about me," Kor told the raven haired boy, "This child is far more important than you realize."

The brown eyed boy didn't say anything. But then made a determined look before he quickly ran towards the boy, never knowing that he was capable to going this fast. "Hey wait!" Ciel called out to him, but he had already reached the kid.

"Don't worry," he reassured the kid, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you!"

"Oh no you don't!" One of the guards near them ran over to them, trying to stop the raven haired boy to from taking the kid-

Until Oshawott, with a determined look, jumped in between Ash and the guard, took in a deep breath and, literally, spewed a _huge_ jet of water at him, knocking him back and onto the wall, where he crumbled in a heap.

"Holy crap!" Ash exclaimed, surprised by the Pokémon's power. _'That looked kinda like Hydro Pump!'_ Then that must mean that Oshawott is a Water-type Pokémon.

Remembering his task, Ash quickly picked up the kid and Daxter and quickly ran back to the Zoomer as Pikachu and Oshawott quickly followed. He helped the kid and Daxter into it, who Jak quickly grabbed and moved from the open spot, before the both male quickly jumped in, the Pokémon included. Ciel quickly switched to the high zone (getting a startled cry from Jak, the boy and Oshawott) before she stomped on the gas pedal, going off quickly and leaving the KG and the grisly scene behind them.

"The fugitives are escaping!" One of them exclaimed.

"Going into pursuit!" The other exclaimed as those on the Zoomers quickly made chase to the young people.

However, the guards didn't realize that someone else had slipped away quietly. Hiding in an alleyway, Kor gave them an impassive look before scoffing. "That Baron should do better than that if he wanted to end us…" Then he thought about the young men he encountered earlier, especially Ash. He made the faintest of smirks. Although things didn't go as planned… "Those two will prove their usefulness yet…"

He turned away and disappeared into the shadows of the night…

* * *

><p>The sound of someone screaming their lungs out could be heard in the night as the Zoomer drove, trying to lose its pursuers. And that someone is Daxter, who had just woken up a few moments ago… finding himself on a wild (literally) ride with a dark skinned girl.<p>

"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!" Ciel, who had gotten tired of Daxter's voice already, ordered the Ottsel, quickly switching to the lower hover zone to avoid the traffic. "And of all nights, **why** does this place have rush hour? ?"

"I dunno!" Was Ash's answer, before he barely dodged a shot being made at his head; after Ciel switched to the high hover zone. "Holy crap! These guys are _nuts_!"

Jak glared at the KG pursuing them, before he gazed at Ash's gun, which was placed by his feet. He quickly snatched it and, after looking over it to know what does what, leaned over his seat to the back side, the laser sight of the gun on and pulled his goggles over his eyes. Pointing at one of them, he pulled the trigger-

And let out a cry of surprise from the recoil, a blast of Yellow Eco coming out of the business end, making contact with the red and white single light-Zoomer-

And exploded. The KG trooper riding on it was sent flying to the ground, crashing into a fruit stand.

Jak made a dumbfounded look at the display then made a savage grin before looking over the gun. "Oh, hell yeah! I need to get me one of these!"

"Hey, what are you-?" Ash was about to ask until Ciel made a _sharp_ turn, nearly grazing the wall. He looked back at the Zoomers then back at Jak. "Okay, just this once, you can borrow it! But I want it back when we get out of this!"

"Deal!" Then Jak continued to shot at the Zoomers as Ciel drives. Most of them missed their mark, while others hit the Zoomers a few times before they exploded.

However, they all knew that at the rate this is going, it won't be long until the KG had caught them.

'_I've got to do something,'_ Ciel thought to herself, _'or the KG will get us!' _It was then that she noticed a… smaller flow of buildings, a cluster of clouds around the northernmost part of the city. Then an idea had struck her.

"Hang on you guys!" She told them as she quickly shifted gears on the Zoomer, forcing it to go faster.

Ash let out a cry of surprise, holding onto the vehicle and the kid at the same time. "Ciel, are you **nuts**? ?" The boy shouted.

"Don't worry!" She assured him, giving him a smirk, "Where we're going, we'll be killing two birds with one stone!" After a moment, she added, as if to Ash's confused look. "You'll see. Trust me!"

And then, after a few twists and turns, the group arrived at the Water Slums. "Sit down!" Ciel ordered, grabbing the back of Jak's shirt and (with surprising strength) forced him back down. Jak was about to chew her out when she suddenly switched it to the lower zone, flying over the water then up again, over the wooden bridges.

It wasn't long until the group saw what looked like a large water pipe at the side of the northern wall. "Hey, there it is!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at it. "The entrance to the Pumping Station!"

Ciel sighed in relief. "Now it's nothing but smooth sailing from here on-"

She was cut off when the Zoomer suddenly rocked, getting everyone to let out cries of shock. As one, they all looked back to see the back of the Zoomer smoking, apparently hit by a lucky shot.

Ciel swore violently (with Oshawott covering the kid's ears for a moment) and moved back to look where she's going, as did the others-

And saw the Zoomer about to make an impact with an unfortunate Zoomer. "Oh-"

The two Zoomers made contact and the passengers are forced out of the vehicles, all of them screaming as they all fly out.

Ciel had quickly took hold of the kid and grasped a large wire connected to two houses-

Then she – literally – used it as a vine to swing as the wire snapped off one of the houses (the two screaming in panic for a bit). But the two were able to land safely onto the wooden walkway.

As for the others…

They landed in the water with a great _SPLASH. _In the water, Ash opened his eyes in the water and looked at the others. Jak did the same and looked at the other boy before looking around and spotted a black blob shape. He quickly swam towards the blob, as Ash continued to look around, seeing Oshawott swimming through the water like it was nothing, with Daxter and Pikachu clinging to her. Ash nodded before giving them a thumbs-up, just as Jak grabbed the gun and all of them did a thumbs up at each other before they swam to the surface.

The surface the water bubbled a bit before the five of them rose from the water, Jak, Daxter, Ash and Pikachu taking in a deep breath before they shook the water off their heads, trending in the water. They looked around again, before they heard, "HEY!" They looked towards the source, seeing Ciel and the kid waving at them. "Hurry up and get back up here before they show up!"

"Okay!" Ash nodded before they all swam to one of the lower platforms of the walkways (perhaps they were made in case someone accidently fell into the water) and pulled themselves up (with Jak placing the Morph-Gun onto the walkway), with the two males helping their partners and Oshawott back on dry land.

Ash quickly pulled off his helmet and poured the water out of it as Daxter and Jak wringed their tail and scarf respectively. "Man, I'd never expected a quick dip in the water like that," Ash mused, shaking the helmet a bit to get the rest of it out.

"Hey, be grateful that the worst part of it is over," Ciel told him before the raven haired boy let out a cry of shock as Pikachu shook the water off of himself (some of the water hitting Ash in the process).

When Jak placed his scarf back on, the sounds of footsteps running on wood reached his ears, alerting him of the KG. "We've got company!"

"Then let's get out of here!" Daxter exclaimed as they all (Ash had to pick up the kid again) ran away again, this time, to the large drain pipe. When they neared it, the security locks on the door started to open. "C'mon you stupid door, open faster!" Daxter ordered, even kicking it for good measure, although that only earned him some _really_ sour toes, the Ottsel howling in pain as he hopped on one foot while he clutched the other.

The others would have laughed at that (besides the kid) but they had to watch out for the KG troopers coming for them. Jak held out Ash's Morph-Gun, ready to shot if necessary as Ciel did the same with her pistol, Pikachu and Oshawott ready for battle.

But it seems they didn't have to as the doors opened. They quickly ran inside into another room, waiting for the second security door to open as the one behind them closed. As it did, the city alarms died down, leaving the room in silence, except for the mechanisms of the second door unlocking.

They all sighed in relief, except for the kid who looked at them; though it seems the kid knew the significance of what's happening right now.

They're all safe. For now.

Ash fell to his knees, as Pikachu fell back. "We're- We're still… okay!" The boy breathed out, the two of them panting to try ease their hearts pounding in their chests.

Then Daxter spoke up. "_MAN_! Talk about cheating Death in more ways you can imagine!" Then he clasped his palms, as if in a prayer, "But let's hope- Oh God, let's hope we don't have to go through that again!"

"Amen," everyone else (besides the kid) agreed, the Pokémon too in their own language.

The other door finally opened, and the others calmly walked through it, coming onto the sandy beach that is part of the Pumping Station.

Ash looked around the place, this being the first time he had ever set foot in this area. "So this is the Pumping Station…"

"Yup," Ciel confirmed, before she pointed at the large metal structure before them. "And somewhere in this place is the valve we need to turn the water back on to the Slums."

"Okay then," Ash nodded, "Let's get started." He began to walk off to the station to find the valve-

Until he remembered something, making him pause a bit. "Oh yeah." He turned his head to look at the green/blonde. "Hey Jak, can you-?"

He cut himself off when he noticed a look on Jak's face. A look of… wait, did Jak thinks the place look familiar?

"Hey Dax," the young man spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't this place look… familiar to you?"

The Ottsel blinked before he looked around the place. "Huh, now that you mentioned it, yeah; it kinda resembles Sentinel Beach in a way."

The younger teens gave each other a look before back at the duo. Ash was about to say something-

Before they heard a roar of a Metal Head. They all turned to the source (the kid letting out a cry of panic before quickly hiding behind Ash) as they saw a pair of Metal Head Grunts on the platform before they jumped down to the beach and ran at them.

"Oh crap! It's the Metal Heads!" Daxter exclaimed, before hiding behind Jak, who looked at them.

'_So THOSE are the 'Metal Heads',' _he mused to himself before he lifted the gun-

Only for Ash to quickly snatch it, (Jak: Hey!) took aim and shoot. They landed on the 'gems', the beasts aren't able to scream in pain as their Skull Gems popped out, landing on the sand. Ash lowered the weapon and sighed.

Ciel, however, gave Ash a suspicious look. "Where did you get the Blaster Mod buster?" She demanded.

"Uh…" Ash let out, shifting his eyes a bit to look for an excuse.

However, Ciel quickly changed the subject when she realized that they have a problem. "But never mind that, who's going to watch this kid?" She gestured towards the boy, who was clinging to Ash's leg, looking over them with his large blue eyes.

"Aw man," Ash muttered, scratching his head. "I knew I forgot something important." He looked down at the boy, "I didn't mean for the little guy to get dragged into this."

"(But didn't Kor said that the kid is more 'important' than we realize?)" Pikachu spoke up, getting Daxter to look at him then at the kid.

"_This_ kid?" He asked, jabbing his thumb at the boy who coward a bit. "He looks kinda scruffy."

"Well, who cares at the moment?" Ciel said, "But we need to decide who'll stay with the kid as we go."

"Hey, don't look at _us,_" Daxter said, glaring at the girl, "We're _not _babysitters for God's sake!"

"And me, Ash and Pikachu needed to do our mission here!" Ciel countered.

"We're not taking orders from a kid!" Ash, Pikachu, Oshawott, Jak and the kid looked at Daxter.

"Well, I don't wanna waste this opportunity to do some _real _missions!" They looked at Ciel.

"I don't care if it's your _grandpa _who issued the order!" The two of them got in each other's face, growling before (as a random _ding_ goes off) they suddenly got into a cartoon cloud dust, the two of them brawling. And… it was quite amazing due to the fact that Daxter is two feet tall...

After a few moments of watching it, a sweat-drop appeared behind Ash, Pikachu, Jak and Oshawott's head, the kid looking a bit confused by what was happening.

Finally, Ash sighed, and looked at Pikachu. "Pikachu, if you would please?"

"(Right,)" Pikachu nodded before he got near the fight cloud. He charged his cheeks then shot a quick (but small) Thunder Bolt on the two. The fighting duo cried out in pain before they fell to the ground in a heap, a bit of smoke coming off of their bodies, twitching a little bit.

"If I may inject," Ash said, getting everyone's attention. "I think I have a perfect solution for this dilemma."

Everyone really looked at him at this. "Well, what is it?" Daxter demanded.

* * *

><p>"How is it possible to lose a prisoner, all on the same night? !" Praxis demanded, pacing in front of Errol in the main command room, "Aren't you one of my most <em>trusted<em> Commanders? ?"

"I honestly did not expect there to be a few… people to break out the Eco Freak," the orange haired man explained.

"And around the matter of Jak escaping, how did they managed to get through security and out of the hanger, just like that?"

Errol went silent at this. Then he said, "Well, you and I both know that Jak isn't able to any of that."

The Baron gave him a look, so he took that as a cue to continue, "You remember what occurred back a month and a half ago, with the strange energy that had fallen at the Bazaar section of the city?"

"Ah, yes, that boy and his creature." After the guards had shown Errol the two, the Commander of the KG showed the Baron the two fugitives that had escaped them. "But what about them?" Then it suddenly hit him. "Those two are the ones how helped Jak escape, aren't they? !"

"I'm afraid so," the Commander nodded. "And I have reasons to believe that this short eared boy might have some unusual powers."

The Baron gave him a glare. "Unusual how?"

But before Errol could explain, one of the operators piped up, "The camera that was on the guards had brought back some feedback!" The screen lit up… and what she saw made her incredibly pale, covering her mouth. "Oh my- What the hell _is_ that thing? ! ?"

The two men went over to her to look at the screen. Most of the Krimzon Guards have a small video attached to them, so that the operators can help them out in their pursuits for fugitives.

And shown on the screen is Jak… or at least, it looks like him, but his hair is impossibly pale, and his muscles seemed to have gotten a bit bigger. Jak suddenly turned his head at the camera, his face also pale with pitch black eyes and inch long fangs. Then the young man pounced at the person who had the camera, his had drawn back-

And a scream could be heard before the screen went static.

The two men had different reactions to the video. Errol's eyes had gotten very wide, at the display of Jak or what he did to the guard, no one knows.

Yet the Baron made a grim smirk. "So the Dark Warrior Program was a success after all…" He turned his attention back at Errol. "I want you and the guards to find Jak and that boy! If they managed to do so, tell them to subdue the two and bring them back here."

The man grinned sadistically. "With pleasure…"

* * *

><p><strong>Pumping Station; 2059 hours<strong>

After traversing the odds and ends of the station, the trio finally arrived at a valve that was higher up than the others. "Finally… made it…" Ash panted out, taking deep breathes to get some air in his lungs.

"Whew, never thought that we'd be able to find it!" Daxter commented, slumping over Ash's shoulder.

"Easy for _you_ to say!" Ciel snapped, "_We_ did all the walking here!"

In case you are wondering, the thing that Ash had suggested is that they do a game that they call in his world 'Rock-Paper-Scissors'. He showed them how to play the game, what hand signs to use to represent them and which is good against what. The object of the game is that, whoever loses has to stay with the kid. Since there are six of them, three will stay while the other three would go.

And since Oshawott doesn't have any fingers, she was automatically disqualified (leaving the poor thing distraught, turning completely white in some cartoon gag and fell over to her side).

To make the long story short, Jak and Daxter lose and won at their very first try at the game (respectively). Thus, Pikachu, Jak and Oshawott to stayed behind to watch the kid while Ciel, Ash and Daxter left to find the valve somewhere in the maze of pipes.

"Anyways, so this is the valve right?" Daxter asked.

"We think so," Ash answered. He made a move to turn it until Daxter jumped off of his shoulder.

"No, no, allow me," he said in the best suave tone he could muster. It was around his height, so it won't be that hard to turn it, right? As he got near it, he tried to pull it up from under him. No go. He tried to turn it from the front, yet the valve refuses to turn. Then he tried to use his whole body (using his tail as leverage), straining his tiny muscles to turn it.

Ciel and Ash shared a look with each other before they looked back at Daxter, merely watching him trying to turn the thing.

_A minute later… (With a random banjo being played)_

Ciel was sitting on the ground, her legs crossed as Ash laid on his back, waiting for Daxter to turn the valve.

_Five minutes later… (With the same banjo being played)_

The two of them were playing Go Fish with each other, _still_ waiting for Daxter to turn the valve.

_TEN minutes later…_

"Okay, I think this has gone on long enough," Ash stated, getting up and tossing away a random banjo he had gotten (how and where he got it is a mystery…). Ciel looked up from a newspaper she was reading, looking at the male before she put the paper away. They turned their attention to Daxter, who is _still_ trying to turn the valve. But, apparently, since he's pretty much small… there's no way a person his size could even turn something as simple as a valve.

"Hey, Daxter," Ash began, making his way towards the Ottsel, "I think you should let us turn the valve instead-" He suddenly tripped over a large rock and his hand smacked against the large pipe connected to the valve.

It caused a chain reaction; the frequency of the pipe shook the valve, getting it turn for Daxter… who was quite unfortunate to have held onto it as the valve turned with frightening speed. At the same time, the lid, that was over the valve, popped open, letting in some air to get the water running. And Daxter literally flew right _into _the opening, the lid closing after him as he traveled with the air at frightening velocity. The two young teens heard the sounds of Daxter letting out cries of pain until he had gotten further out.

Ash did a quick scan with **Aura Sight** and quickly found where it was going. "C'mon we gotta get back to the entrance!" He exclaimed, quickly grabbing the girl (who cried out in surprise) as they quickly made their way back to the entrance.

_With the other group…_

Jak looked around the area, keeping an eye out for any Metal Heads that might come after them. So far, there are none. But that doesn't make him feel any safer.

He heard giggling, turning his head to look at the two… Po-key-mon entertaining the kid, Pikachu making funny faces at the kid while Oshawott watched on, taking mental notes with on how to entertain the kid in the future besides playing games.

Pikachu stretched out his face, making his tongue wave a bit, earning some more giggles from the kid. Oshawott looked at the electric-type. "(Wow, you managed to do all of these in a matter of minutes?)" She asked, sounding amazed.

"(Well sure,)" Pikachu nodded, looking proud of himself, "(I've plenty of experience when it came to kids.)" He suddenly felt the kid touching him, feeling the fur under his hands. The Pokémon made small smile and cooed, encouraging the kid, who giggled a bit, to rub him even further.

From where he was Jak couldn't help but make a small smile. Ah, the joys of being innocent… Yet that innocence died off while he was in prison. He looked over the kid with a green brow raised. Why is there a kid like him here in this godforsaken city? He noticed that almost everyone's skins are quite pale, yet this kid and Ciel's skin is a dusty color. Does this mean that the kid came from somewhere else…?

He sighed, looking away. There so many questions yet so few answers. He had found Daxter – or rather, Daxter found him – yet he has no idea where Keira and Samos are. Are they somewhere in this city? If so, then where? Are they safe? …Or are they-? No, they couldn't have! The two of them are stubborn, and won't let themselves get killed easily.

He felt someone pat him on his arm, getting him to automatically look at the source. It was the kid, who had a concerned look on his face, along with Pikachu and Oshawott. The kid raised his brows, as if asking:

_Are you okay?_

Jak blinked. He had a strange case of déjà-vu, looking at the kid, but he shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry, I'll be alright," he assured him, "I was just… thinking about something."

They don't look convinced, so the kid got a bit closer to him and held him, making Jak stiffen at the touch. He awkwardly patted the kid on the back, while Pikachu rubbed his cheek against his hand. Jak gave the mouse-like creature a glance before he softly petted the small creature's head, briefly noticing the bite marks on his thumb. He frowned. "I'm sorry," he said, prompting Pikachu to look at him, "for… for nearly killing you guys."

"(It's alright…)" Pikachu murmured, getting onto Jak's lap, "(We both know that it wasn't your fault.)"

Oshawott nodded, before she joined Pikachu on his lap. The kid let go of him and he smiled at him, along with Pikachu and Oshawott.

For some reason, Jak felt reassured by their gestures, smiling a bit. He rubbed the two Pokémon on their heads, getting a coo from them. "Thanks you guys," he said, and he meant it too.

Pikachu nodded at him. Then his ears twitched. He looked towards the small pipe where a cone shaped funnel is at, then tilted his head. "(Huh?)" He jumped off of Jak's lap and headed towards it. The other three gave each other a confused look before they quickly followed the yellow creature. As they got near it, they suddenly heard the sounds of someone letting out cries of pain, as if they were continuously hit by something. Then the cries abruptly stopped as a loud _THUNK _was heard, as if it hit something that was within the pipe, not able to get out all the way.

Pikachu cautiously went up to the pipe and tried to peek into it. "(Hello?)"

"Someone…" A familiar voice began, sounding a bit strained, "help… I'm… stuck…!"

Jak blinked. "Daxter?"

"Jak… please… help…" Daxter squeaked out, "The… pressure's… killin' me…! Ack!"

"Hold on Dax!" The green/blonde quickly ran to the valve connected to the pipe and twisted it open. When he did, Daxter's head popped out first (Oshawott and Pikachu each covered the kid's eyes). He pulled his body up a bit, until his upper torso is free. He braced himself and tried to push himself out of the pipe until a jet of air forcibly shot him out of there, the Ottsel bouncing on the ground for a bit before coming to a stop a couple of inches away. Jak turned the valve the other way, closing it before the four of them started to head over to the Ottsel.

"He~ey!" The sound of Ash's voice got them to look back at the other part of the station to see Ash and Ciel running up to them, the former waving at the four. When they got up to them, Ash quickly asked, "Where's Daxter?"

Jak gestured his head at the Ottsel lying on the ground. The group went over to the Ottsel and stooped down a bit to look at the Ottsel. Ash opened his mouth-

Until Daxter held up his hand to cease whatever the boy was going to say. "Don't say it," he growled, "Don't even _chuckle_. Next time," he put his hands on the ground and pushed himself up, glaring at the boy, "**you** turn the valve." Then he fell back again, dizzy swirls in place of his eyes.

Jak gave Ash and Ciel a look as he picked up the Ottsel. "What happened?"

"Well," Ciel began, "Daxter wanted to turn the valve and, after waiting for… 16 minutes I guess, we got tired of waiting and Ash was about to turn the valve himself."

"But I kinda tripped," Ash continued, "smacked my hand against the pipe, which shook the valve and shot Daxter off into the pipe." After a moment's pause, Ash added, "The whole thing is an accident."

The green/blonde nodded. "Right. Anyways, I think the KG are no longer on to us," he said, before making his way to the exit of the Station.

Ash blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"Apparently, the KG don't care who goes in and out of the city," Ciel explained, "They probably assumed that we're killed by the Metal Heads by now."

Ash nodded. "That makes sense." And they all left the Pumping Station.

_Back in the city…_

The group (Daxter had woken back up while they were waiting for the second security lock to open up) didn't even take a few steps on the walkway until Ash's communicator beeped. "Huh?" Ash let out before he took it out and pressed a button. "Hello?"

"_Ah, I'm glad that you all are still alive."_

Ash blinked. "Kor?"

"_Yes, it's me," _Kor confirmed, _"Tell me, is the child alright?"_

"Yeah, he is," Ash confirmed after looking over the kid once. "How did you get away from the KG?"

"_Oh, an old man like me has his ways," _he answered, _"Now, can you please do me a favor boy take the child to the Underground?"_

Ash blinked. "How did-?"

"_The guards were looking for members of the Underground, and the way you reacted, you are part of them, aren't you?" _Oh, he had forgotten about that. _"Don't worry, I've contacted the Shadow. And he said that it's alright for the boy to stay with them for a while."_ Jak and Daxter gave each other a look. The Shadow? Who's that?

Ash, though, seemed a bit suspicious. "How do you know the Shadow, or the Underground?"

"_I'm one of their allies," _Kor answered, _"How do you think I've got your number?" _Oh, duh… _"Oh, and… Jak and Daxter, correct?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Maybe the two of you should join the Underground as well," _he suggested, _"They could always use more members, with the way the two of you had shown your prowess back there." _Jak stroked his goatee a little. He actually thought about joining them when Ash first mentioned them back at the Hanger…

"Hey, if you're one of the Underground's allies, how come we never see you around at the hideout?" Ash asked.

"Yeah," Ciel agreed.

"_The three of you were probably busy doing your own things," _Kor answered, _"I wish you all luck in the battle against Baron Praxis." _Then the line went dead as Kor cut the communications. Ash turned off his own device and pocketed it as well.

Then he looked at Jak and Daxter. "So what are you guys going to do now?"

"How the heck should _we_ know?" Daxter retorted, standing up on the shoulder guard. "I've spent two years looking for this guy," he pointed at Jak, who frowned a bit, "and we've just busted him out of prison!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "Actually, I was thinking of joining the Underground," he told them.

"Why? Because of what Kor said?" The raven haired boy asked.

"It's to find the way to get back at the Baron."

The two teenagers blinked. "Why would-"

"You've _saw_ what happened back there," Jak said, jabbing his finger on Ash's chest, "What the Baron did to me for the past two years! I'm going to get back at him for all the things he did!"

Ciel looked between the two males, before she pointed her finger at Jak. "So wait, you're-"

"Yeah," Ash answered her unfinished question. Then he sighed. "But are you sure about this?" A look Jak gave him told him enough. "Okay, okay, we'll take you to our base." _'But I don't think revenge is a good way to go…'_ He added to himself.

"O…kay, I think I'll go and find us another large double-Zoomer," Ciel stated before she quickly took off to find one.

"Please hurry," Ash called out at her.

**The Slums; 2135 hours**

Like a month and a half before, Torn had a dumfounded look on his face.

Ash and Pikachu looked sheepish, rubbing the back of their heads.

Ciel had a bored look on her face as she held the kid's hand, who was looking between them.

Jak and Daxter gave the man a look along with Oshawott.

"Uh… I think you heard, right?" Ash asked.

Torn, after giving them all a look over, gritted his teeth and:

"_**KETCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM! ! ! ! !"**_

It's a scream that the people in the Slums, and at the surrounding area, could hear. And it's a sign that Ash Ketchum and Pikachu are in trouble…

**TO BE CONTINUED…  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: How Jak lost the game.<strong>

"Okay, did you guys get an idea of what to do?" Ash asked them.

"I think so," Ciel nodded.

"Okay, you two go first," he said to Ciel and Jak, "Then I'll take on the winner."

"Aright," they both nodded before they faced each other. "Okay, rock-paper-sci-"

Ciel, who was going for rock, suddenly tripped and fell forward… literally socking Jak on the face, and they both fell down onto the ground.

Jak was literally out before he hit the ground, the pink/red haired girl declared the winner by default.

During the ride back to the Hideout, Jak is still rubbing his cheek tenderly, which is no doubt bruised. He is _never_ going to play that game again, **especially **with Ciel!

* * *

><p>…<strong>Holy crap, it wasn't even at around the end of the month! Woo! Thank you lap-top! (I've gotten it a few days ago, letting me type this faster than on my computer.)<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** With Torn pissed off, he forced Ash and Pikachu to chaperone Jak and Daxter as long was the war goes on; in the meantime, the man gave the duo their own initiation. Their mission: To steal the Baron's banner in Dead Town. How much problems will they go through to do this mission? Not even I know. ****But you can still find out in the next chapter of:** _Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: The part where Ash goes 'Oh snap…' is from the movie Chicken Little, where the said little guy and his dad found a lot of weapons pointed at them. And you should **_**never**_** underestimate the power of the frying pan. And I did the best I could to make Dark Jak's first appearance a bit… graphic. And seriously, you can't help but love it when characters break the forth wall! I kinda edited the scene where Daxter tried to turn the valve and went through a 'bumpy' ride before Jak helped him.)**

**Leave a review please! **


	7. Chapter 6

**Jak and Daxter's first OFFICAL mission!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Capture the Baron's Banner!<strong>

"I can't believe the Tattooed Wonder is making us do this!" Daxter exclaimed, having a pissed off look on his face. He was sitting on Jak's shoulder, the latter having a bored look on his face. Behind them, Ash was following them, though he seemed to be sluncking about something, his back hunched over as Pikachu tried to comfort him.

"Dax, calm down-"

"The _first _thing he did is send us on a crappy mission!" Daxter continued on, interrupting Jak, "THEN, he got these two to chaperone us! What are we, _a bunch of ten year olds_?"

"(Daxter quit complaining already!)" Pikachu exclaimed to the Ottsel, "(What's done is done!)"

"Hey! Don't tell **me** what to do!"

Jak palmed his face, exasperated by this argument. Though he gotta agree with his friend (somewhat) as he thought back to what happened that led up to this…

_A few minutes ago…_

"Ketchum, this is by far, the **stupidest** thing you've ever done!" Torn shouted, glaring his crystal blue eyes at the boy.

"Hey, I can't leave them in that prison!" Ash explained, "Besides, I was trying to track down something in there, but… I wasn't able to find it though."

The auburn haired man pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning in annoyance. "You, by far, are the craziest guy I've ever known."

"(Join the club, we have jackets,)" Pikachu said sarcastically, as the others watched on in the background.

"Listen, we want to see this 'Shadow'," Jak spoke up, walking up to Torn. "He's probably the only one who could help us out in this situation."

Torn gazed his blue eyes at the young man, as if bored. Then he chuckled. Coldly. "Not likely," he said, turning away from him and walked off.

"Hey, wait-" Jak cut himself off when the auburn man suddenly pulled out his curved knife and held it at the young man's face, inches from his nose. Daxter yelped, accidentally falling off of his friend's shoulder as Ash and Ciel jumped, startled (Oshawott and Pikachu quickly blocking the kid's eyes). Jak's eyes widened a smidge, his eyes going cross-eyed as he tried to look at the blade. But his eyes returned to normal and he glared at the man, his eyes defiant.

A few, tense, moments went by, everyone not moving where they are. Finally, Torn made an amused grunt, closing his eyes and smirking before he lowered the blade. "You've got spunk," he said, "I like that." He fiddled with his knife, rubbing his knuckles over the flat part of the blade. "If you're as determined as the guy I knew," Ash frowned, "then why don't you and your _pet_ head on over to Dead Town. Go to the Ruined Tower and steal the Baron's banner from there and bring it back."

"Sounds simple enough," Daxter commented, hopefully merry.

"It's not," until Torn shot it down, "There are a few monsters roaming around there, along with the occasional Metal Heads." The Ottsel gulped audibly. He was about to protest-

"Alright, we'll bring your banner," Jak sternly responded. Not noticing Daxter's agape mouth, he continued, "I think we can handle a few Metal Heads and beasts."

Torn grunted, nodding a bit until he turned his attention at Ash and Pikachu. "As for you two, I'll let you off since the three of you opened the valve at the Pumping Station. HOWEVER, since you two freed them," he jerked his head at Jak and Daxter, the blonde frowning as he crossed his arms as Daxter seemed to growl at him, "those two are your responsibility! So until the war is over, you two are to chaperone them, or until **I** think they'll be able to handle themselves in the city."

"WHAT!"

Ash nodded solemnly, ignoring Daxter cry of protest. "Alright then."

_Now…_

The young man then blinked, looking over at Ash who is still slumping over. He thought back to what happened after that, yet it all seemed so… corny.

_Before they left…_

"And one more thing," Torn suddenly spoke up, before the group of four almost left, getting their attention. His eyes set in a glare, he jabbed his pointer finger at a certain duo. "Because of your 'disobedience', you two aren't having dinner for tonight!"

Jak and Daxter looked at Ash, who gasped in horror. He held his head, his eyes going wide – REALLY wide – before:

"_**NOO~OO!"**_

It's a cry that the whole city (and the surrounding area) could hear (and one could've sworn the whole city shook a bit…).

_Now (for real this time)…_

"Yeesh, talk about being overly dramatic over _that_!" Daxter commented, looking over at the black haired boy.

The boy straightened up, crying toon tears. "How can Torn be so cruel like that?" He moaned, earning a sweat-drop from the other three as Pikachu palmed his face. Typical Ash…

"Calm down man," Daxter said, "It's not like missing dinner for tonight is the end of the world."

"You wouldn't understand!" Ash exclaimed, before he suddenly had a crazy look on his face (along with a strange alien music in the background). "I have to eat something or it'll feel like I'm dying! I think he's doing it just for kicks since he used to be a Krimzon Guard Commander!"

"Hey, calm down," Jak told him, trying to calm the boy (after the creepy background music ended). "You should probably sneak some food in before then and-" A record scratched in his head. "Wait, did you just say that Torn was once a _Krimzon Guard_?"

"(Yup,)" Pikachu nodded at the duo's stunned looks.

Jak blinked. And Daxter blinked. Before Jak had to keep himself from laughing, but only a few chuckles escaped. "Uh… That explains his… _charming_ sense of humor."

'_That's exactly what Ciel said,'_ the duo from the Pokémon world mentally noted.

"(Anyway,)" Pikachu spoke up, getting his Trainer's attention. "(You should do what Jak said, and eat something before we get back. What Torn don't know won't hurt him.)"

"Yeah… I guess so," Ash reluctantly said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright!" Daxter exclaimed, jumping off of Jak's shoulder and started to march off, "I say we get this crappy mission over with and-"

He was cut off when he accidentally crashed into a double heavy-Zoomer (déjà-vu for Ash), letting out a yelp. He backed up and rubbed his nose. "Who put this here?"

Ash and Pikachu shrugged. "No one really knows," the former responded. He walked over to the Zoomer and pulled the under part of the dashboard open, getting a couple of wires out and began to hotwire it.

Jak, Daxter, and Pikachu looked over his shoulder, watching him as he does so. "What are you doing?" Jak asked.

"What does it look like?" The boy answered, "I'm hot-wiring this thing." After fiddling it around, he added, "Ciel taught me as me and Pikachu stayed here for a month and a half."

Jak blinked. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," the trainer responded. Finally, he took two wires and brought the exposed metal to each other, getting them to spark. A few seconds later, the Zoomer spewed out some smoke before it roared to life. Ash moved away from it, sighing a bit. "I sure am glad I learned this. You should probably ask Ciel to teach you too if we have the time."

Jak nodded. "By the way, do you know how to drive this?"

"Uh… Not really," Ash admitted, "I only know how to drive the single light-Zoomers."

Jak made a bored grunt. _'Figures,'_ he thought before he got in it. When he got seated, he quickly noted the pilot-like steering wheel before him, and two pedals by his feet. On the dashboard, there seemed to be… a stick of sorts, as there's also a lever sticking out next to the steering wheel.

As he fiddled with the controls, Ash and Pikachu hopped in on the other side, Daxter as well. Though once the Ottsel took notice of his friend and what the green/blonde was doing, he made a worried look. "Uh… Jak, are you sure you could drive this?"

"Yeah," Jak nodded, turning the stick to a slot (not noticing the 'R' shaped symbol it was resting on) and flipped the lever, getting it to the high zone. "It's like riding on Keira's A1-Grav Zoomer back in Sandover." And besides, he saw Ciel do this before during the wild chase. How hard could it be?

Ash blinked, as Jak found the gas pedal. "Hey, who's-" Jak stomped on the pedal-

And the four of them screamed as the Zoomer went _backwards_ real fast, crashing into the wall (another déjà-vu for Ash).

The quartet groaned, all of them trying to get their bearings. Ash suddenly noticed where the stick is, under the 'R'. "Jak, you've got the thing in reverse!"

Jak blinked before he took notice of it. "Oh." He quickly switched it to 'D' (which probably means 'Drive') before he paused a bit. He looked at the other three. "Don't tell anyone about this, alright?"

The three of them gave him a thumbs up. Then the green/blonde made the Zoomer drive, on their way to Dead Town.

* * *

><p>At the Underground Hideout, Ciel watched over the kid, who brought out some color pencils and a few sheets of paper, as he draw a few pictures. Some of them had pictures of what looked like… different parts of a desert, a couple of them have what supposed to looked like Oshawott (yet they seemed a bit… deformed), and a picture of what looked like Ash and Pikachu and another of Jak and Daxter.<p>

Next to the boy, Oshawott looked over the drawings, one of the desert ones to be exact. Ciel grabbed one of the desert pictures, looking over it with a raised pink brow. _'Why would he draw the desert all the time?'_ She asked herself, before she looked at the kid. She took note of the skin color the kid has, noticing that his skin is dusty, like her's and her brother's yet at the same time, somehow… lighter. Now that she thought about it, Jak's skin is the same color as the boy's. If she didn't know better, the kid and Jak might be from the Wastelands…

But how could that be? She had never seen Jak or that boy before. …Did she? As she looked over the boy, something… itched at the back of her mind. As if something told her that she had, indeed, saw the boy before. But where?

Then something struck her. Ash and Pikachu busted Jak out of prison earlier, right? If so… then the clothes she had saw him in are the only ones he had on him. She sighed, putting the picture down and she stood up. _'Jak should be grateful for this…'_ She grumbled in her head.

Ciel turned her head at the kid, then stooped down to his level. "I'm going somewhere for a while," she told him, getting his and Oshawott's attention, "So if Ash, Pikachu, Jak and Daxter return, can you tell them not to worry? I'll be back soon as soon as I get something."

The kid and Oshawott glanced at each other, then at Ciel as they both nodded. Ciel nodded as well before she straightened up and left the Underground base, once more going clothes shopping.

Both kid and Pokémon looked back at each other before the latter shrugged. The little boy returned his attention back to the drawing, this time, drawing what seemed to be a man with bits of white hair around his head and mouth, wearing something that resembled armor, and had some orange… spikes on top of his bald head. In his hand is a staff of sorts and his eyes seemed… purple. Oshawott blinked before she looked at the boy, who looked… sad as he stared at the picture. The kid sniffled, picking up the paper and hugged it, as if it was the real thing.

"Papa…" He muttered, so softly, Oshawott could barely hear it. But she did, staring at the boy in shock. This is the first time she heard the boy spoke. Yet she became startled as a few tears escaped his eyes, his body racked with sobs. Oshawott quickly came to his side and tried to comfort him the best she could, hugging him and even rubbing his back.

As she did, she looked over at another picture, one she – and perhaps Ciel as well – hadn't notice before.

A picture of what looked like great tower… made of nothing but stone, with a large pillar of flame on top of it. She lowered her gaze, looking back at the boy. _'Just who are you?'_

Yet, it's a question she probably won't get an answer to, anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>The Slums; 2145 hours<strong>

Jak, after a few minutes of swerving around in the Zoomer to get used to the controls, had gotten used to driving a Zoomer that isn't like his friend's yet somewhat like it at the same time. The quartet rode in the Zoomer in silence.

No one was sure what to say as the green/blonde drove. Ash had installed his communicator onto the Zoomer, so that Jak won't be able to get lost with the map on. And the silence is getting to them.

Ash turned his head, about to say something when he saw something that… startled him. "Hey, you alright Jak?"

Jak turned his gaze at the other boy. "What?"

"Um…" Ash moved his hand to his right cheek, as if to tell him something… and not sure how to voice it.

Jak blinked, barely noticing his vision had gotten blurry earlier and cleared somewhat and he felt… something going down his cheek. He took his hand off the wheel and touched his right cheek, suddenly noticing that it was… wet. Startled, he pulled his hand back, staring at the daps of water on his fingertips. No, not water. Tears.

Daxter had also noticed this and became concerned. "Jak, uh… you okay buddy?"

He… he honestly didn't know. But, now that he thought about it… he felt a sudden pang of sadness within him. "I… I don't know," he answered, frowning a bit, "All of a sudden, I feel… sad. I don't know why though."

The other three gave each other a look, each of them having no idea what was wrong with him. Jak quickly scrubbed his eyes, drying them. Grunting, he grabbed the wheel with both hands and stated, "Well, we shouldn't worry about this now. We better get on the ball and towards Dead Town."

The three of them aren't convinced, but they nodded, for Jak's sake. It wasn't long until they reached where the map indicated where Dead Town is. "We're here," the older male announced, slowing the Zoomer to a stop and lowered to the low zone. He jumped down first, whereas Daxter jumped off the Zoomer and onto his shoulder, followed by Ash, who took his communicator out of the Zoomer, where Pikachu also got onto his shoulder. The four of them jumped down the pit (Daxter: How did this pit get here anyways? Ash: *shrugs*) and headed towards the gate that leads to Dead Town.

Once they got passed the two security gates, the site of the ruins are before them. "Holy crap!" Daxter commented, he and Jak looking around the ruins with wide eyes. "What the hell happened to this place?"

"The Baron happened," Ash responded. He looked around he a bit before he spotted the tower, the same one he'd see from time to time when he came here on most days, training with Sig. "That must be the tower."

"Hey, what exactly do you mean by that?" Jak questioned as the two of them hopped across the water, "You know, the 'the Baron happened' thing."

At first, Ash didn't answer. But when they both got onto dry land, he grimaced a bit. "There's this guy, his name is Sig," he started, "When I came here for the first time, and _really_ using the Morph-Gun, he told me that the Metal Heads had somehow broke through the walls and attacked this town. I think… I think the Krimzon Guard got ready to defend the town… until the Baron suddenly pulled them back, behind the 'new' wall, and left almost everyone here to die at the hands of those creatures."

The other duo had their eyes widened, in shock, horror, or maybe the combination of the two. Jak gritted his teeth. "That bastard… _why_ would he do something like this!"

"I don't know," Ash solemnly shook his head. Then he looked at Jak. "You wanted to get back at him, right?"

Jak gazed at him, not saying anything. Then he averted his gaze. That was his answer.

"Okay, I can understand what you had been through," Ash stated, "But, let me… ask you an important question. If it got down to it, and… you have the Baron's life in your hands… would you take it?" But before Jak could respond, the raven haired boy added, "What I'm saying is, revenge is _not_ the way to get back at him! Sure kicking his ass is good enough but… all I'm telling you is that, if you take the Baron's life… you probably won't be better than him. History will just see that as more senseless violence…"

Jak grunted. Then he looked at Ash. "Let's get something straight here, _Ketchum_," he said, saying the boy's last name, "All that matters to me to getting back at Praxis! I can stay in this group however long I want, until I do so! Preach to me all you want, but I'm still going to kill Praxis for what he did!" With that, he stalked off, shoving past Ash as he headed over to the tower.

Ash looked at his back before he sighed, shaking his head. Then he silently followed the green/blonde towards the tower.

_Sometime later…_

The quartet, after swinging on poles, jumping off from crumbling platforms, and climbing (and lots of it), are near the top of the tower. Nearing the end of their mission to get the banner. Everyone is silent after the spat Ash and Jak had. Once more, the silence is getting to Daxter, who was bored – so bored – he was playing a song in his head. He had no idea what it's called, but it was pretty catchy when he heard it for the first time.

Finally, he had enough and quickly stood up on Jak's shoulder. "Okay, that's it! Can't someone at _least_ speak up? I don't think I can stand the silence anymore!"

"Daxter-"

"Back in our very first game, it was at _least_ bearable since the game developers have made you not able to speak!" The other three gave each other confused looks as the Ottsel continued to rant, "But _Jeeze_, I'd rather not spend the whole adventure in silence all the time!"

"(Well, what exactly do you want to talk about?)" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know yet," the Ottsel said, jumping off of Jak's shoulder and paced away a bit, "But I wanted something interesting to happen! Like about right-"

He screamed as a bunch of orange large lizard-like creatures suddenly fell from the sky. He scattered back and ran away as fast as his small legs could carry them. "I didn't mean like that!"

Ash quickly jumped back a bit, Pikachu jumping off his shoulders with his cheeks sparking, the former getting his gun out-

But Jak had already charged at them and landed a round-house kick them, knocking a couple away from them. The two from Pokéarth gave each other a look before they too charged into battle… leaving Daxter behind, quivering a bit before he noticed that the other two had gone into battle.

The three fighters used a flurry of punches, kicks, tail swipes at these creatures. Daxter stayed where he was at, watching them do battle…

…Until he suddenly noticed one next to him. About to attack. The Ottsel screamed… before he suddenly pulled out a HUGE mallet from nowhere and smashed its brains in, quickly killing it, before, in a strange cartoon fashion, revved his feet a little and ran off.

With the other three, the creatures lay around them, defeated, before their bodies faded away into Eco. Ash sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "That was a close one."

Jak merely brushed himself off before he continued walking. Ash sighed once more before he and Pikachu followed him. Daxter, upon realizing that the danger is over, and that the others are leaving, yelped out before he quickly ran after them. It wasn't long until they came to a couple of large columns on top of a large wooden platform.

And standing proudly near the edge of the platform, is the banner of Baron Praxis. Daxter sighed, slumping over a bit. "FINALLY! We've made it!"

"C'mon," Jak said, walking to the pole that has the banner on it. However, as Jak and Daxter made their way to the banner, the raven haired boy looked up at the cover of the balcony. He didn't know why but he felt… something. Something that's hiding up there. On the cover are varies holes. And one of them had a glow of purple-

Wait, purple!

Ash's eyes went wide and he looked at Jak. "JAK LOOK OUT!"

"Wha-?" Jak turned his body to look at the other male-

He barely registered a blast of purple flying at him until he hit the ground. "JAK!" he briefly heard his friend crying out in horror.

The seventeen-year old groaned, propping himself up a bit and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey… you okay?"

Jak blinked and looked at the source. Ash stood a couple of feet away from the green/blonde, seemed to hunch over a bit, and his arms hanging by his sides. When the raven haired boy looked over the other male, he grinned weakly. "Good… you're alright…"

Then he fell to his knees and onto the ground, out like a light. "(Ash no!)" The Pokémon ran over to his trainer, gently nudging him, though being careful to not touch his back.

"HOLY CRAP! IS HE OKAY?" Daxter exclaimed as he ran over to the downed male to check on him. Jak, meanwhile, took in the scene in front of him. He turned his gaze over at the gun, still in the loop of the strap, lying on the ground, discarded. Then at the boy on the ground, where he could see that the back of the vest looked a little burnt, having some holes on it that shows bits of his white shirt under it… and he smelled blood, along with Dark Eco.

'_He… protected me…?'_ But why-?

Pikachu suddenly turned his head at the top of the balcony, and fired a charge of electricity through one of the holes. A roar is heard as purple blasts were shot through the holes, trying to hit Pikachu. However, Pikachu fired an another Thunder Bolt at a blast that was coming at Ash, making it explode a few feet from him.

"Oh crap! It's a Metal Head!" Daxter quickly looked around, for something to throw at the creature. "What should I do? What do I hit it with-?" He spotted Ash's Morph-Gun lying near him. He quickly scurried over and hefted it up the best he could. He did a quick look over at the gun (Daxter: How the hell do you use this thing?), pressing a random button that made it into its Blaster Mod before he aimed the business end at one of the holes and pulled the trigger.

"WOAH!" He yelped out, being pushed back a bit from the recoil. However, it did the job of hitting… something, as the thing shooting at them let out a growl of pain, and falling onto the balcony-

And through it, the parts of it crumbling and breaking down around it. The thing that fell through is a large dark blue skinned bipedal with bits of armor on its head, over and under the shoulders, and on its kneecaps, and it had some sort of… gun in its hand. On its chest is a glowing yellow gem, which seemed to be connected to brown cords found around the center of its chest. For those who have seen a Metal Head before, they can instantly tell that's one of them since most of the Metal Heads' skin are colored dark blue.

And this one is pissed off from the lucky shot the Ottsel had done. As this one glared at the Ottsel, both his and Pikachu's ears lowered. "Oh shit," they both said – in Pikachu's language as well – before the two of them screamed as they dodged the blasts the Metal Head fired at them (somewhat comically too).

As the Ottsel and Pokémon dodged the blasts at them (effectively getting it away from the downed raven haired boy), Jak quickly got out of his stupor, getting up in a flash and ran over to the younger boy to check on him. He gingerly grabbed the younger boy by the shoulders and turned him over, though not really touching his back nor did he laid the boy onto the ground; he merely held the boy up by the upper part of his back, making sure that his back doesn't make contact with the ground. He then looked around the area, trying to find… _something_ to dress his wounds. But what-

Wait those crates…

Although they have the insignia of the Krimzon Guard, they might have something in them to help them out.

He quickly put the raven haired boy onto his back, carrying him as he let his arms and legs dangle as he steadied his body with his hands and made his back hunch over (and something told him that he'll probably do a lot of that in the future). He carefully carried the other boy over to the crates, and away from the small battle the Ottsel and Po-key-mon were having with that Metal Head. When he's near them, he found himself in a dilemma: how was he supposed to open them? He looked over his shoulder to the battle, grimacing when he realized that the two of them won't hold off the Metal Head for long.

He turned his glare over the crates and lifted his foot, then brought it down, effectively smashing it open. In it is… a box? It's colored gray, though on the sides it has two green lines, one horizontal and the other vertical, the two of them intersecting at the middle of the lines. And something told him that this could help.

The green/blonde quickly set Ash down, face down, took off his helmet, then his vest and his t-shirt. His back had a large… burn mark on it, bits of blood going out of some parts of it, along with small bits of Dark Eco on him. Jak did a grimace of disgust when he saw it. And he also noted past injuries on the other boy, scars that has long since healed… and some of them looked they were healed like around a month or so ago. He quickly shook his head to rid of himself of these thoughts; he's got work to do. He quickly took the gray box in his hands, looking over it, trying to figure out how to use it. He grabbed the edges of the box and, with a couple of tugs, managed to open it. And stared at the inside contents.

Inside it contained… a green substance of sorts. A _familiar_ green substance. He looked over the stuff then at Ash, then back at the substance. He quickly took off his gloves and pulled his sleeves back before he put his hand into the stuff. He pulled out a handful of it, trying to will it to not get it absorbed into his skin. _'C'mon!'_ He mentally said, _'I need to use this to heal him!'_

Somehow, the green stuff responded to his thoughts, stopping itself from trying to go into his body. He sighed in relief, then he set out to work on fixing the other boy up.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Daxter hid behind one of the large pillars, the Ottsel holding onto the Morph-Gun for dear life. "How are we supposed to beat this thing?" Daxter exclaimed over to the Pokémon. However, the electric type didn't hear the Ottsel, looking over the debris to try to find Ash and Jak. Behind the Metal Head, he could see that Jak was over Ash, his back towards the Metal Head who (thankfully) didn't notice him yet.

Pikachu made a small smirk and nodded. He looked back at Daxter, saying, "(The only way to defeat him is to hit it at their Skull Gem!)"

Daxter gave him a confused look. "Skull Gem?" He echoed.

"(Yeah,)" Pikachu nodded, "(Apparently, all of them shared this weakness; but trying to hit them there is easier said than done.)"

Daxter looked back at the Metal Head, still firing at them. Then back at Pikachu. "Well, what do we have to lose? Let's give it a shot!"

Pikachu nodded before the two of them turned to the Metal Head attacking them-

Only to see that it had turned its attention towards Jak and Ash, the three of them seeing a green glow over Ash's back. It turned its rifle at them, the gun charging up-

"(NO!)" Pikachu exclaimed, his tail glowing before it literally turned into metal, running at the Metal Head at top speed and smacked the gun upward, just as it fired off, missing Jak's head by inches and flying towards the old wall of the city, where it made an explosion.

"Hey! I ain't lettin' ya lay one _claw_ on my friend!" Daxter shouted, jumping onto its shoulder and used the gun to continuously smack it on the head. Pikachu joined in, biting any part of the body (but not down at the nether regions) he could find.

As the Metal Head got into a crazy dance to try to get the animals off of it, Jak continued to try to heal the other boy with the green substance, using his power to channel the stuff to save the boy. He never tried to use the stuff to heal others, but… well, he's willing to give it a try. As he channeled the green stuff – Green Eco – a memory's echo seemed to reverberate in his head.

"_Although the two of them different, they're still the same. The trick is to get them to… connect, and when you do, it'll be easier to heal."_

"…Connect," he muttered, closing his eyes. This time, he concentrated, _really_ concentrating, trying to reach out to that… light blue flame-like substance he suddenly noticed in the strange black abyss. He slowly approached the flame and reached his hands out to touch it. It seemed to hover in his hands, the young man mesmerized by the strange beauty the blue flame radiated and of how… warm it is. And the warmth felt… familiar. He remembered that he had a job to do and, instinctively, he closed his hands around this substance. Just as he did that, he felt a shock of sorts as he felt this… stuff become a part of him. Connecting to his heart- no, not his heart… something else.

But he had made a connection to this… strange stuff. And he blinked his eyes open, noticing that the Green Eco is now healing the wound on the other boy's back, even cleansing the Dark Eco that might've found its way into the boy's bloodstream. In no time, the raven haired boy's back looked like there wasn't a blast on it at all. Jak looked over at the open box, noticing that there's still some Green Eco left. He closed the box and put it into his pouch, saving it for later.

And at that moment the Metal Head had took hold of the Ottsel and Pokémon and chucked them away, landing in a heap beside their partners, the Morph-Gun falling out of the Ottsel's grasp and tumbling next to Ash. The Metal Head picked up its gun, just as Jak quickly got up and landed a kick at where the sun doesn't shine.

The two of them stood there, not moving. Jak shifted his eyes up at the Metal Head, who gave him a bored look. The long eared human blinked stupidly.

He quickly ducked down, his knees bent, barely dodging a swipe made for him and did an uppercut to its chin, managing to effectively knock it to the ground. The two of them groaned as they held the areas that hurt as they throbbed a bit, the Metal Head rubbing its lower jaw gently as Jak wriggled his fingers a bit; apparently, this kind of Metal Head is immune to anyone who tried to use punches and kicks on them. That kinda explains why the kick to the crotch didn't do anything…

The Metal Head suddenly swiped out its legs under him, making him fall to the ground. Then, after getting up from the ground, it pointed its gun at Jak's head, grinning mercilessly at his expression-

Until a shot rang out. Everything in the town is silent. Silent as death.

Pikachu and Daxter, who were in the middle of pushing themselves up, stared in shock.

Jak and the Metal Head as well. The Metal Head suddenly fell back, the gem on its chest popping out and landing by its still twitching corpse. Jak slowly turned his head, even turning his body to look behind him.

On the ground, his Morph-Gun in hand, with his eyes in a glare is Ash. His back was twisted around to see behind him, though the rest of him is still lying down on the ground, still face down. The raven haired boy panted a little, before he dropped his gun and slumped to the ground, groaning a bit.

"(Ash!)" Pikachu exclaimed, the other three hurrying towards him to check on him.

"You crazy ass bastard," Daxter exclaimed, looking over the raven haired boy with a glare, "That was the nuttiest thing I've ever saw, in my _life_! But," he looked nonchalant, rubbing his knuckles to his chest and pretended to inspect them, "you're just grateful that the Orange Lightning saved your ass."

Jak rolled his eyes then he asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'll manage," Ash answered, his face towards them. Then he looked over the older male. "Are _you_ alright?"

Jak nodded. "My knuckles are going to feel sore for the rest of the day, though," he added, somewhat humorlessly.

"(You sir, just added another point to your reckless streak!)" Pikachu pointed at his trainer's face in a glare.

Daxter gave the Pokémon a confused look. "What do ya mean by 'reckless streak'?" Even Jak gave them a confused look.

"(This guy has gone through so many reckless things, putting his own live in danger through so many incidents!)" Pikachu explained, "(All of those merely saving the asses of people and other Pokémon he didn't know.)"

"Really?" The Ottsel let out, his brow raised. "How many of them did he went through?"

"(I lost count after the incident at the Orange Islands,)" Pikachu shrugged, "(But I assure you, it's a lot of them.)"

"Wow," Daxter let out, still having the same look, not sure whether to be impressed or not.

Jak and Ash watched the two of them having their little conversation. Then the former looked at the latter. "What do you think they're talking about?" He asked, getting the other boy to look at him.

He gave the older male a shrug. "No clue," he answered, "But maybe it has something to do with my reckless streak."

Jak blinked. "Reckless streak?"

"Yeah," he responded. Then he looked thoughtful. "Huh. I guess I lost count after the incident at the Orange Islands."

"What incident?"

"Well, it involved me saving the world from destroying itself after some guy was trying to 'collect' the legendary birds. And I almost died from drowning, being frozen and… uh, I think they pronounced it as 'hypothermia'?"

Jak's jaw went slack, his eyes shrunk a little as the upper part of his face had gone blue with black lines running down the side of his face. "Y-You survived through all _that_?"

Ash shrugged. "I guess so." Then he paused. "Hey, am I in shock or something?"

As Jak palmed his face, Daxter and Pikachu had heard the conversation. The Ottsel gave a look at the Pokémon, then back at the raven haired boy. "Uh…"

"(I'll handle this,)" Pikachu said, walking over to his trainer. With his cheeks sparking with electricity, he sent a small jolt of it onto Ash. The raven haired boy gritting his teeth to keep himself from screaming until it was over.

"Augh…" He let out, "Okay, I think my head is cleared a little. Mind helping me up?" He added, looking up at Jak.

"Uh… sure," the green/blonde nodded before he pulled the raven up from the ground. Once the younger boy had his footing, the other male took the time to ask, "What was _that_ about? Getting electrocuted like that?" He added, picking up his gloves and placed them on.

"Oh, there are times where I needed to clear my head," Ash explained, looking sheepish.

"(That, and there are times where he had to get up early,)" Pikachu added. Daxter gave the Pokémon a look. Then at Ash, then back at the Pokémon.

Then he made a bored look. "I'm surprised he lived through all that, if it was daily…"

"Yeah, I've grown kinda immune to Pikachu's electric shocks for the past six years," Ash explained, getting his shirt and vest off the ground and put them off.

"Six _years_?" Jak repeated, having an incredulous look to go along with his tone. "Are you serious?" The two of them nodded, once Ash had grabbed his helmet. Jak palmed his face, once again. "My life is never boring, what, hanging around with people like you guys."

"Hey, don't include me in this argument man," Daxter spoke up. He looked at the flag, "Could we get this crap mission over with?"

"Oh," the two males let out, Ash putting his helmet back on, then, after making the Morph-Gun into its compact mode, placed both it and the strap back onto his back (but not before Jak had picked up the 'gem' and secretly stored it into his pouch). The four of them walked over to the flagpole, which was somehow undamaged even after the scuffle they had with the Metal Head.

Jak took hold of the pole and tugged on it. It didn't budge. Gritting his teeth, the green/blonde pulled onto the pole with all of his might, groaning as he strained to pull it out. Just as Ash was about to help him, the pole suddenly came free. Jak stumbled a bit before he regained his footing. When he did, he slammed the bottom of the pole down proudly.

"Alright! Mission accomp-" Loud crumbling sounds could be heard from the entire tower, making Ash pause his cheer. The four of them shifted their eyes a bit, at the platform under them, then at each other. "…lished?"

As soon as he finished the word, the entire platform under them gave away, crumbling as large pieces fell to the water below…

…Taking the four with them, Daxter and Ash screaming in panic.

Jak quickly evened himself out, holding the pole horizontally, landing feet first onto a shoddy awning, and was launched back into the air and over a few buildings. Followed by Pikachu, then Ash and finally, Daxter. However, the awning has somehow launched the two from Pokéarth a lot higher than the other duo, the two of them fluttering their legs a-la Yoshi to try to stay afloat. It worked for a moment before they were sent plummeting down; the two of them crashing onto anything that got in their way, a strange _ding-ding-ding_ from a pinball game could be heard as they hit those parts.

Jak, meanwhile, managed to land perfectly on a cable (stumbling on his footing a bit) which he began to grind along. Daxter landed on the same cable, but with his crotch, pausing his screams for just a moment as he encountered sheer pain in the worst possible place before he was launched back up into the air.

After grinding along the cable for a little while, Jak crouched down and then bounced off, sailing through the air (and even doing a flip in the air) before landing perfectly on a spot of land a fair distance away from the Ruined Tower, still holding the banner. "Whew, that was close," Jak muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead.

He spoke too soon, because at that moment, he heard screaming above him. He looked up, did a take and did a cartoon gag of revving his feet to get away from the falling object-

And Ash crashed onto Jak's back, Pikachu landing besides them. A second later, Daxter bounced onto the ground next to Pikachu.

As they all groaned in pain, the Ruined Tower behind them finally gave up the ghost. The old stones that comprised it crumbled away in large chunks into the water below. In a few moments, the tower had been completely leveled.

All thanks to the quartet, lying on the ground away from it.

They continued to lie there, even after the tower is no longer standing. "…Hey, how about we lay here for a bit, until we got enough of our strength back?" Ash suggested.

Jak, Pikachu and Daxter raised their hands, showing their approval, before they fell onto the ground again.

* * *

><p><strong>The Slums; 2305 hours<strong>

It's been a while since those four had left.

Torn leaned against the wall next to the secret entrance of the Underground base, his arms crossed over his chest, his crystal blue eyes closed. A lot of things ran through his head.

Things have gotten, well… 'interesting' since those two (Ash and Pikachu), along with that annoying girl had joined the group. He had to admit, that raven haired kid had made some progress while he lived in the city; yet, the trouble is, the kid is too… _nice_ for his own good. And not while mature, he made up for it in his desire to help fight in this battle, against both Praxis and the Metal Heads. He also had gotten good in his training, both with the gun and hand-to-hand combat.

And yet there's the two they both broke out. The one with green/blonde hair and his orange _rat _are… different. For some reason, he could tell that they're not exactly from Haven City, despite the green/blonde's – Jak was it? – long ears. And if they're not from Haven… then where did they come from, exactly?

He heard a bunch of footsteps coming in his direction. He opened his eyes and moved from where he was leaning against, his eyes narrowed as he set his eyes on the people approaching. He let down his guard seeing the four he had sent out earlier.

And he couldn't help but stare.

The four of them looked hunched over, having scratches, dirt and a bit of water on them (despite the fact that the four of them had fallen into the Water Slum's water earlier). In Jak's hands, is the pole that held the banner.

As the four of them panted a bit, Torn made an incredulous look. "What the hell happened to you guys?"

"Metal Head… with a **big** gun… attacked us," Ash explained, "Then… the whole tower collapsed. Barely made it out of there." He finished with a sigh, Pikachu falling forward with a _thud_.

The auburn haired man blinked, surprised. A Metal Head with a gun? He couldn't believe they survived a fight with Metal Head Grunt Gunner; one of the highest rank in the Metal Head army! The four of them are… really something.

Then he sighed. "Yeah, I guess you two are in," he said to Jak and Daxter. Daxter merely pumped his fist into the air, not saying a word, for once.

Torn shook his head. "Just get your asses in here," he told them, making his way to the secret entrance.

_Inside…_

The quartet sighed, slumping in their chairs (for Jak and Ash) and on the table (for Pikachu and Daxter) in the dining room. They're so tired, they didn't even bother to eat anything (even considering the fact that Ash and Pikachu are banned from dinner for tonight). Then Ash suddenly stood up, the chair behind him falling back, getting the other four's attention. "I'm gonna head for the shower," he announced, "I think the water had come back on in there."

And he scurried off to get this crud off of him. Pikachu sighed. "(A bath is just what I needed,)" he said, stretching a bit before he quickly followed his trainer.

Jak and Daxter glanced at each other. "Actually, a bath sounds good," Daxter piped up.

The green/blonde sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit before he, too, got up from the chair, along with Daxter. As the duo came into the central room, the door opened again, this time, showing Ciel, who had a bag in her arms.

"Oh, so you guys got back," the pink/red haired girl noted, seeing Jak and Daxter. "I suppose you guys passed your initiation?"

"Hell yeah we did," Daxter exclaimed, looking boastful. "It was all thanks to me that we managed to get in here. Oh, and Jak helped too."

Ciel rolled her eyes. "Right, anyways, here." She placed the bag into Jak's arms, startling him. "In there contains your sleeping gear and some of your unmentionables. You'll need them as you stay here in the Underground with us."

"Oh, uh… thanks?" he said, not sure how to react to this.

"There, now you owe me," the girl said before she went off to the dining room. The two of them watched her back for a bit until one of the doors near the entrance opened up, showing Ash and Pikachu, the former having a bundle of clothing tucked under his arm, his helmet off.

"Oh, hey there," Ash waved at them, "You guys gonna wash up too?"

Jak wordlessly nodded.

"Okay then," the raven haired boy walked over to the room next to the other duo and opened it, showing the bathroom where Jak wordlessly followed them in, Ash closing the door behind them. In the bathroom are a few toilets near the end of the room, where some of the members of the Underground could use them to… rid themselves of their waste. And on the sides of the room are a few stalls that have curtains around them.

"Privacy," Ash quickly explained, taking his boots off. "Choose which ever one you want." He grabbed a towel from a nearby towel rack, and discarded the rest of his clothes (earning a rather repulsed look from Jak and Daxter, the latter who covered his eyes to shield them), grabbed a pair of the sandals near it, and went into one of the stalls, closing the curtain behind him. Soon, the sound of running water reached their ears.

Jak turned his head to the other stall, then at the bag he had in his arms. He set the bag down and started to shed his own clothes off. He tossed his clothes next to Ash's discarded clothes (leaving his goggles hanging on the towel rack), placed a pair of sandals on (as a precaution of sorts), grabbed a towel and went into the stall, closing the curtain behind him. He came across a predicament, looking over the nobs in front of him. On one side, there's the letter 'H' on it, while on the other nob is the letter 'C'. He noticed that, in a rack of sorts is a white square shaped bar that looked like it could fit into his hand and a brush with a long handle of sorts hanging next to the nozzle.

Daxter, having taking off his goggles, hat and gloves before going in there with his friend, noticed the dilemma. "Okay Jak, see this?" He pointed at the nob with the 'H' on it, "That makes the water hot while this one," he pointed at the nob with the 'C' on it, "makes it cold." He pointed at the white bar, "That stuff helps clean your body off, and that," he pointed at the nozzle above him, "makes water come out of there."

Jak blinked and looked up at the nozzle. "Ah." He looked at the nobs and reached out for one of them. He turned it-

And yelped when some hot water landed on his skin. "AH! HOT!" Daxter exclaimed, feeling the water then turned the 'C' nob a bit, making the water more bearable. Jak sighed in contentment, feeling the water running down his body, washing away his troubles for a time. Under his stall, he was suddenly handed some bottles.

"Here," Ash's voice spoke up, "Use them to clean your hair."

"Thanks," Jak took them from the boy and looked over them.

"Hand me the shampoo Jak," Daxter spoke up at his feet. Jak looked at one of the bottles, finding the shampoo before he handed it to the Ottsel. "Thanks." He took the bottle from his friend, squirting some of the stuff onto his fur and scrubbed himself good, his body soon covered in suds.

The green/blonde looked over the bottle of shampoo, before he squirted some onto his hand and used it to scrub his head good.

A few minutes later, after scrubbing himself with the soap and brush, Ash turned the water off. He shook himself to rid of himself of some water and dried himself with the towel rubbing himself to rid himself of the leftover water on him. He soon came out of the stall, rubbing his hair a bit to dry it before he put his night clothes on (a light brown t-shirt with a pair of baggy pants with pockets, and held up by a string). Pikachu grabbed another towel and dried himself off too. The two of them turned their attention towards the other stall, where Jak and Daxter are currently using.

"Hey, everyone else needed to shower too, y'know," Ash spoke up, over the water.

Daxter poked his head out, with an irritated look, water dripping off his fur. "Hey! We can take however long we want buster! So if you don't mind, we'll be taking our _nice_ shower!" Then he retreated back into the stall.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other before they shrugged. Ash picked up his clothes and the two left the washroom. They both went to the bedroom and into the laundry room, where he placed his clothes into the washing machine. After that, the two of them went back to the central room, where they saw the kid and Oshawott on the ground, the former drawing on a piece of paper, with the Pokémon watching him carefully. The raven haired boy tilted his head a bit, looking over the white and blue Pokémon. He quickly went back into the sleeping quarters, retrieving his Pokédex from under his pillow and back into the room, seeing that the two of them hadn't moved.

The Pokémon Trainer got a bit closer, opening the Pokédex. _'Let's see what you are,'_ he thought, and started to point it at Oshawott-

Unfortunately, the otter-like Pokémon suddenly looked at him, noticed the Pokédex, and panicked. She quickly hid behind the kid, who looked at Oshawott in confusion, then at Ash. The raven haired boy looked startled at this behavior. "Hey, it's okay," he said, holding his hands up to try to calm the Pokémon. "This isn't going to hurt you at all, I just…" He trailed off, clearly seeing that the (suppose) Water-type isn't going to listen. He reluctantly sighed. "Alright, I'm putting it away." He tucked the red device into his pocket then held his hands up to show that they're empty.

This seemed to calm Oshawott down, the Pokémon moving away from the kid. At that moment, the door to the wash room opened, and out came Jak and Daxter, the former rubbing his lower jaw (and they noticed that his face didn't have any stubbles of green hair on it) as the latter had a large grin on his face. "Aren't showers awesome?"

Jak nodded, somewhat distracted as he rubbed his lower jaw some more. The clothes that Ciel had apparently gotten him is a simple white tank top and a pair of light brown shorts. "Man, how come Sandover doesn't have one of those?" Daxter complained, getting Ash's attention on that. "There are a few things I like about this city, and the shower is one of them! Meesa love a shower!"

Jak gave his friend a strange look before he rolled his eyes. At that moment, Tess came into the hideout, and immediately took notice of Ash and Pikachu. "Oh, welcome back you two," she greeted, smiling at the duo. Then she noticed the newcomers, though not noticing the slack-jawed look Daxter was giving her. "Oh, and who are they?"

"They're new members of the Underground Tess," Ash answered, gesturing his hand to them.

"Name's Jak," the green/blonde introduced himself. After a moment, he added, gesturing his head to his (suddenly) silent companion, "And this is Daxter."

"Aw… He's almost as cute as Pikachu!" The blonde cooed, scratching the Ottsel behind his ears. The Ottsel made a dumb look as she touched his fur, his eyes turning to hearts. Tess let out a giggle before she walked off to the dining room.

Daxter made a sigh of contentment, propping his face up with his elbow, looking dreamily at Tess's retreating form. "She's purdy…" He said dumbly. He didn't even notice his friend giving him an amused look.

"By the way, you should bring your clothes from the bathroom," Ash spoke up, getting Jak's attention.

"Why?"

"We have a washing machine in the very back of the sleeping quarters," the raven haired boy explained, "That way, you can have clean clothes to wear as we go."

Jak blinked. Clean clothes? Everyday? He quickly ran back to the wash room, Daxter comically falling off and landing on the floor in a heap. But the Ottsel didn't seem to care, still having the same dumb look on his face.

Ash blinked in confusion, getting to his knees and poked Daxter a bit. "What's wrong with Daxter?" He asked, completely oblivious of what had happened to the Ottsel.

Pikachu, upon hearing that, comically collapsed to the ground. An invisible box appeared over Ash's head with an arrow pointed at him; and in the box, it says, _"Clueless about love."_

The box hovered there for three seconds before it disappeared, before Ash looked up. He blinked, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Ketchum," he jumped at the voice behind him. He turned to the source, seeing Torn… with a bucket and mop in hand.

With a tired groan, Ash took the items from Torn and walked off somewhere. Pikachu got up and saw his trainer going somewhere before he quickly followed.

Leaving the Ottsel with Torn. Daxter blinked a bit then noticed the older man, who gave him a bored look. "Uh… how's it going?" He sheepishly said, waving a bit.

Torn rolled his eyes and walked away, passing by Jak, who has his dirty clothes in his hands, who looked at him curiously as he went by. Daxter blinked. "What did I miss?"

_Sometime later…_

Ash made a combination of a content sigh/groan as he fell onto his bed. "At times like this, a bed is all I need…"

"(Holy crap, you're not complaining about not eating _dinner_?)" Pikachu exclaimed, "(Oh my Arceus it's the end of the world!)"

"Speaking of that," Daxter piped up, getting on the bed next to the bunk Ash and Ciel shared, "This, 'Arceus' guy," he did air quotes on Arceus, "it's a god to all of you guys?"

"(Yup,)" Pikachu nodded, "(The Legendary Pokémon from our world is our 'deities' compared to the Precursors.)"

"And they all come in different shapes and sizes?" Pikachu nodded. "And they all have power to literally bend time and space and other stuff like that?" Pikachu nodded again. "And they have a potential to mess you up when you accidentally _piss them off_?" At that, Pikachu had to think about it before he shrugged.

"(I guess so,)" Pikachu said, "(Usually, someone else pissed them off, and we risked our lives, literally, to calm them down!)"

"_Yeesh_! Whoever did that are total idiots for doing that!"

Meanwhile, Jak sat on the bed next to Daxter, thinking over everything the two had told them (which was during dinner). These two… came from another world? It almost sounded… unreal. Yet everyone else that knew the raven haired, short eared boy backed up his story, each of them saying that they didn't believe it as well… until Ash showed them that red device, what he called a 'Po-key- err, Pokédex. The little thing could inform them just about any Pokémon a trainer – like Ash – might come across. However, they weren't able to get the information on Oshawott, since the otter-like Pokémon ran away at the sight of the device.

So now, after doing a crazy amount of chores Torn put him in, along with other things the ex-Commander could come up with, Ash was exhausted from not only the events from today, but also from the chores he went through; plus, not eating anything for the night didn't help much.

The raven haired boy made a loud yawn, and smacked his lips a bit, turning over to his back to look up at the under part of Ciel's bed. He suddenly remembered something, and it made things feel a lot worse. "Aw man, I forget to see where I could find that person…"

Jak, who was lying back on the bed, glanced over at the raven haired boy with a raised brow. "What person?"

The younger boy merely looked at him then back to looking at the wooden support. "Well… on the first day I got here, I… kinda heard a voice. And I am **not** crazy Daxter!" Ash said that to the Ottsel before he could say anything. "Anyways, I heard this… voice. And it sounded like it was suffering, calling out for help. Later that night, I… kinda sent a message to this guy." He frowned. "I promised that I'll help him get out of where he was suffering, until I found out where he is…"

When the raven haired boy finished that sentence, he didn't notice Jak giving him a stunned look. Ash palmed his face, as Pikachu hopped onto the bed with him. "But after the incident earlier, I don't think I'll be able to find this person and free them, what, with going through some more missions now that we've 'proven' ourselves. And I never break my promises…"

The long eared male frowned sadly a bit. Then made a small smile. "Hey, I'm sure that you'll find this person," he assured the other boy. "After all… he might be closer than you think." He added, rather cryptically.

Ash gave Jak a confused look. "What do you mean?"

The green/blonde merely shrugged.

The raven haired boy stared at him a bit more then shrugged. "Oh, right, thanks, for saving me back there."

Jak blinked before he remembered what happened at Dead Town. "Well… you saved me first. But you're welcome all the same."

Ash nodded. "Well, good night you guys," he said, turning over to his side and pulled the blanket over himself.

"Night." Jak nodded and lay back onto the bed. But didn't immediately fall asleep. He thought about what he heard the other male said, about hearing a 'voice'. His eyes shifted over to the boy sleeping in the bed next to theirs. _'So that was you?'_ He mentally asked, though the other boy didn't answer.

A wall of orange entered his vision, then a pair of blue eyes (along with whiskers) appeared. "Hey, you feelin' okay buddy?"

The green/blonde blinked a bit. "Oh. Yeah, I am." The Ottsel made a concerned look at him, so he rubbed his head a bit. "Don't worry; I think I'll be alright Dax. I'm just worried I won't have a good night's sleep is all."

The Ottsel didn't look convinced, but he nodded all the same. "Alright then. But if you ever need me, you know who to turn to."

Jak grunted, nodding. Daxter yawned loudly before he laid down on the pillow next to his head. "Night." Soon, the Ottsel is asleep, his breathing becoming slow and even.

Jak looked around the room once more, his eyes settling on the kid, who held Oshawott close to him, the two of them fast asleep. His expression softened a bit at the two before he turned to his side and closed his eyes. As he felt Daxter's presence close to him…

He slept in peace, for the first time in two years, dreaming of the sand and sea…

…And of two little kids, playing around like there's no worries in the world. The two of them… looked strangely familiar…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>Hidden Scene: The search for her son.<strong>

If there are things Delia Ketchum could worry about, it's the life of her own son.

So far, no one was able to find any clues to what had happened under Prof. Oak's lab. No one knew where that strange egg-shaped object went or where it took him. It's almost as if… it took him away from this world. But where?

They had searched for a month and a half already, but still no sign, or even a **clue** to her son's whereabouts. Some of Ash's good friends are also searching for him at around the four regions (and the Orange Islands), yet they couldn't come up with anything.

As she looked up at the night sky, she could only hope, and pray, that her son is still alive out there. "Ash… please be careful sweetie… And come back to me…" She whispered, hoping that her message would reach to him.

At the Underground HQ, while Ash is sleeping, a stray tear came out of his eye. Yet he didn't wake up to notice it, even when it ran down his cheek...

* * *

><p><strong>Hurray for quick updates! <strong>

**Next Chapter:**** Torn immediately sets Ash and Pikachu to work, making them take Jak and Daxter with them to blow up the ammo dump in the KG Fortress. But as they're doing that, they found out something that took them by surprise. After that, Jak and Daxter are sent to 'prove' themselves by delivering a bag of Eco ore to Krew; and things get a bit… crazy when the duo from Pokéarth came in from a small errand Krew sent them on. ****Stay tuned for the next chapter of:** _Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: There will be some… mistakes even the greatest of heroes will make. No matter how silly it is. I think that the kid still remembers his time in Spargus (only for those who have played Jak 3 will probably get this; if not then ****SPOILERS****!), and even his father. Everyone should know that even friendship (or the start of it) has some bumps in the road. There's a significance to what happened during that part where Jak healed Ash; but it'll be explained in the future. And for those who've watched Pokémon knew how much the Trainer went through. I've edited the part where the tower crumbled.)**

**Leave a review please!**


	8. Chapter 7

…**I've ran out of stuff to say.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing.**

_**Warning! Later in the chapter, you may come across a scene that might repulse you. I will say, that it's **only** for a comical moment. Don't get any ideas, please. (It won't turn into a yaoi story.)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Of Ammo Dumps and Krew.<strong>

_The sun was peeking over the horizon. The seagulls over them cawed around Samos's hut, like they would usually do._

_He looked over the small village of Sandover, a small smile on his face. It's almost hard to believe their world was about to be engulfed by the Dark Eco Gol and Maia Acheron were going to unleash onto the world. And nobody in Sandover ever knew about it. Oh well. As long as everyone in this village – along those that live in Rock Village – are safe, that's all that mattered._

_Right now though…_

_He looked over the strange machine they had found at the top of Gol and Maia's citadel, the large wooden platform they had built to place it at, where the platform goes all the way to the large Precursor Ring on the other side. On it is a strange orange odd-shaped object on the dashboard along with a strange red ruby button – somewhat shaped like a heart – near a few more buttons. Inspecting the vehicle some more is… _

_He couldn't help but blush as he looked at her. For some reason, the rising sun seemed to have… made her shine. Her hair, her skin, her eyes-_

_He blinked and shook his head. Where in the world did THAT come from? _

_The young man decided to look over at something safer, his Ottsel turned friend, Daxter. Apparently, the Ottsel had fallen asleep on top of the vehicle. Jak had to stifle his chuckle at the sight of this. Well, they have been up since before the _sun_ came up. He thought it would be fair for Daxter to catch some more sleep._

"_Keira, is everything ready?" Samos, the sage of Green Eco and Keira's father, asked his daughter, walking over to the vehicle, using his old walking stick._

"_Yeah, just about Dad," the blue/green haired girl answered._

_The old sage nodded before he looked over at Jak. "Well, today is a big day Jak," he said, "I hope you are prepared…" He paused, and took on a solemn look, "…for whatever happens."_

_He blinked. Why would Samos say that? Be prepared for what exactly?_

"_Okay," Keira suddenly spoke up, getting their attention, "I think I've figured out most of this machine. It interacts somehow to that large Precursor Ring."_

_The green/blonde gave Keira a surprised look. "Really?" He asked, settling down on the large seat the vehicle has._

"_Of course," Keira nodded, sitting next to him. "I just hope we didn't break anything moving the ring and this vehicle to the lab."_

_Suddenly, Daxter popped up between them. "Easy for _you_ to say!" He exclaimed, looking outraged, "_We_ did all the heavy lifting!"_

_Jak chuckled. "Right." Daxter gave him a small glare before he took his attention over at the orange object. He reached out to touch it-_

"_**Daxter**__!" Until Samos shouted at him, making the Ottsel flinch, "Don't touch anything!"_

_The Green Eco sage angrily began his lecture as he made his way to his seat, "Though the Precursors vanished long ago," at that, the sage didn't notice Jak rolling his eyes in amusement, "the artifacts they left behind can still do great harm!" Daxter also rolled his eyes, scowling. The two of them heard a great deal of the old man's lectures about the Precursors; and after hearing them many times, it can get boring._

_Keira took that moment to bring up the Ottsel's mood by adding, "Or great good! If you figured out how to use them!"_

_Samos sighed as he sat down next to Jak. "I've had _some_ experience with such things." After a moment's pause, he looked over at Jak. "I know you could make this work."_

_Jak wordlessly nodded and looked over the controls. His eyes strayed over to the ruby red button and he raised his hand. It neared the button-_

_When he hesitated, having a surprised look on his face. Where did this sudden sense of unease come from? Why did it feel like something… bad is going to happen? He shook his head. It was probably nothing._

_Ridding himself of it, he pressed the button. When he did, the orange object suddenly popped open, revealing a golden orb and a series of rings and spheres that encircled it in midair suspension._

_Daxter grinned as they all reveled in this achievement. "Looks like Jak's still got the mojo!"_

_Jak sheepishly scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. Then he noticed Keira making a thoughtful look on her face, looking at what the orange thing is doing closely. "What's up Keira?"_

"_This is interesting…" She muttered, "From what I could discern, it appears to be reading out some preset coordinates…"_

_Jak blinked again, and opened his mouth to ask how she was able to tell-_

_Until the strange device clamped shut again, and the ground started to shake as the device began to start moving. The disk behind their vehicle began to rotate, the points of it zapping the gate ahead of them with violet sparks, and a dark aura settled around the area._

_After a few seconds, the gate began to rotate in midair as well, and it broke off its wooden supports as it settled itself at the end of the ramp in front of them. A violet-blue portal filled up the center of the rings._

_Just about everyone was slack-jawed. "Wow…" Daxter gasped, "look at that!"_

_Jak, however, gave the ring a critical look, his brow raised in a confused expression. For a moment… he saw the ring at a… different place. Along with the feeling that it looked… familiar. But why-?_

"Finally… the last Rift Gate has been opened!"_ A dark, sinister voice suddenly boomed around the area. Startled, everyone looked for the source and back at the gate, as if it was the source. As soon as they did, dark gray, metallic, insect-like creatures started pouring out of the gate, swarming the immediate area._

"_Gyaah!" Daxter cried, and ducked under the dashboard in cowardice. Peeking out a bit, he asked, "What are those things!" Yet no one could answer that, for they haven't seen these creatures before…_

…_except Samos was looking around at this with a look of understanding. "So _this_ is how it happened…"_

_Jak gave the old sage a strange look. _'What?'_ "Samos-"_

_Suddenly, a gigantic metallic monster thrust forth from the ring – gate? – and roared loudly, baring its lengthy jaws menacingly. The green/blonde boy suddenly froze at the sight of it, his eyes completely wide, the monster's image imprinting itself into his brain. He felt his heart race as he stared at the monster, this… strange fear that was buried deep down in his heart – and perhaps his memory – was forcibly resurfaced. He didn't even hear the monster say something else, his gaze forced onto the thing-_

"_Do something, Jak!" Keira's voice snapped the young man out of his stupor, breaking the hold that was on him. He tore his gaze from the strange – yet familiar – _thing_ that was trying to pull itself through the ring. Mind racing, he scanned the control board in front of him, his eyes shifting around to every button in front of him. _

'O-Okay, the machine had opened the ring in the first place,'_ he thought, _'so… maybe it could close it again. But _how_?'

_Meanwhile, Daxter looked over the controls frantically. "What's this do? Or that! How 'bout this one!" The Ottsel started flipping switches and hitting anything that looked even remotely like it had a purpose. When nothing happened besides a few corresponding beeps, the Ottsel practically screamed, "Everyone, press all the buttons!"_

_At that, Jak immediately moved his eyes over at the ruby red button he pressed earlier. The thing opened the gate… maybe it could close it again. With that in mind, he slammed the button._

_However, the engine behind them suddenly revved up. Jak barely managed to get a glance behind him before the vehicle suddenly shot forward at surprising speed that made the four of them fall back and somewhat squished against the back support. The vehicle was flying right towards the huge monster…_

…_And they, somehow, managed to slip by under it and into the portal. The four of them then found themselves flying through a tunnel of violet light, with their vehicle shaking violently with all the energy around them._

"_What _was_ that thing?" Keira asked shakily. _

"_I-I don't know," Jak answered, then he took a cautionary look behind him to see if the monster is following them. It isn't. He sighed in relief and slumped into his seat. "But I'm glad we're away from that thing."_

_Suddenly, the vehicle lurched to the right, almost near the wall but it moved away from it and it started to swerve wildly. "Hang on everyone!" Samos exclaimed, and, following his own advice, gripped the edge of the machine so tightly that his green knuckles almost turned white._

_Daxter, as usual, was nowhere near as calm. "__**Yyaaaaaaahhhh!**__" He screamed out, as the vehicle started to pick up speed, going faster, and faster, to the point where their lips were forcibly pushed back, exposing their teeth. The Ottsel soon ran out of breath, and on his next breath, he looked to Jak and shouted, "I want off this thing!"_

_The light at the far end of the tunnel loomed closer, getting the green/blonde's attention. Could this almost be over?_

_Suddenly, a particularly strong bolt of lightning struck the vehicle. It was enough force to send a series of explosions rattling through it, and the vehicle soon broke apart entirely. Keira screamed as the explosion sent them apart, and everything went white…_

…_The next thing he knew, he stumbled onto the ground, tumbling and rolling before he came to a stop. He groaned in pain, deciding to wait for the pain to just… go away. _

_It did, a few moments later. Slowly, he put his arms under him and slowly pushed up from the… ground? It didn't even… feel like it. Confusion washed over him, and he opened his eyes-_

_Seeing nothing but black. In fact, there's black all around him. "What…?" He spoke up, and he suddenly looked alarmed, putting his hand to his throat. This voice…!_

_He quickly made himself stand and looked over himself, not only stunned to see himself in this perpetual darkness but also seeing himself wearing the same outfit he wore after he was busted out of jail and… two years older. What was going on? What is this place? Why is he-?_

_He suddenly felt a presence behind him. He slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder-_

_And he turned around, alarmed to see a massive white beast before him. The beast is white – so white – it practically _glowed_ in this blackness, making the young man cover his eyes from the sudden brightness. He narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to glare through the brightness to look over the massive beast before him._

_As white (and slender) as the beast is, there are times that, for a few moments, parts of it glowed in different shades of red. Parts of its body have… feathery-like tendrils, and flicks of feathers sticking around its body. Its arms are a massive pair of wings, with four claws that acted as hands at the end of them. Its large tail had a center-most plume and ribbon-like secondary extensions, surrounded by two large bands, somewhat like a jet engine/turbine. Its eyes are closed, yet it breathed in a steady motion. _

_Intimidated by this thing, he took a step back-_

_The beast's eyes snapped open, and looked down at him, its blue/black eyes locking onto his own, forcing his deep cobalt blue eyes to stare right at it. No matter what, he couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried. Its eyes stared at him, as if analyzing his very soul through his eyes._

_The sound of an engine running reached his ears, and the areas where they occasionally glow red suddenly brightened up with the color. A dome of fire appeared around it as it let out a roar. A roar so loud, booming (and has a somewhat high octave) that he had to cover his ears in an attempt block it out, squinting his eyes just a little-_

_Wait, did it suddenly got hot around here? Wisps of flames appeared around him as the air had gotten hotter. Startled, he looked down-_

_And screamed as a pillar of fire consumed him. It should've hurt, the fire no doubt burning him… yet it didn't. Startled as to why it didn't hurt, he looked over himself-_

"Our hearts have touched. Now it's only a matter of time before you could call upon me…"

_He blinked in confusion before everything – even the large beast – shined white-_

Jak shot up from the bed, catapulting Daxter – who had somehow shifted over to his chest during the night – to the other side of the bed, the Ottsel letting out a startled yelp as he flew. The young man was covered in cold sweat, panting to calm his beating heart. He patted himself, making sure that there aren't any burns on him. There isn't. He sighed in relief, rubbing his eyes a bit. _'What the hell… was that about?' _He asked himself.

Daxter hopped onto the bed, glaring at his friend. "Hey! What's the big idea buster?" He exclaimed, not caring that everyone else is asleep. "I was just sleepin' peacefully until-" It was then he quickly noticed the condition his friend is. "Hey, uh… you alright Jak?"

"Huh?" He dumbly let out, before he remembered what happened earlier. "Oh…" He hung his head a bit. Then: "I… I had a dream of the day we left Sandover… And came here."

Daxter's ears went flat. "Oh…"

"But… at the same time, I'm just glad I woke up here instead of inside the cell," Jak added, falling back onto the bed. He purposely left out the other part of the dream – about the strange white beast – because… well, frankly, who would believe him?

"You said it," the Ottsel agreed. Then he noticed that most of the people that were sleeping in the beds are absent. "Speakin' of which, where did the other people go?"

The green/blonde blinked before propping himself up and looked around. True to what the Ottsel said, some of the other beds around them are empty… except for the two beds next to theirs and the kid sleeping in his own bed, seemingly sprawled out along with the white/blue otter creature.

But not as sprawled out as Ash, the blanket on him lying in a heap on the floor, and his pillow by his feet; and Pikachu is sleeping on top of the raven haired boy's head. From what they could see, Ciel held the pillow close to her, one of her legs dangling on the edge.

…And it's quite amazing that someone could sleep through a snore like the one Ash has.

"Whew," Daxter let out, "the kid sure can snore."

As soon as the Ottsel spoke, the pink/red haired girl blinked her green eyes open. She pushed herself from the bed, yawning as she stretched her arms over her head. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, before she noticed someone else awake besides her. "Oh… morning you guys," she said in mid yawn.

"Mornin'," the duo from Sandover replied.

"Hey, do you know where everyone else is Ciel?" The green/blonde male asked, gesturing to the near empty room.

"Oh," she let out, before she looked around herself. "Well, most of the members of the Underground get up earlier, since most of them have a life in the city, or do some of the missions Torn and the Shadow had issued them."

"Oh."

"And…" she trailed off as she leaned over to the side, looking down at the raven haired boy sleeping under her, "It's around this time that he should wake up. But hey," she shrugged, "more fun for me since me, Pikachu and Torn get a kick at waking him up our own way."

Daxter raised a brow, looking a _bit_ suspicious about that. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ciel made a bored look and made a gesture of sorts. "Why don't _you_ guys give it a try?"

Jak and Daxter rubbed their chins a bit, thinking of how to do so. Until the Ottsel's face lit up, and an evil grin formed. "Hey Jak…" He trailed off, whispering into Jak's ear.

The green/blonde made an intrigued look before he made a surprised look then a disgusted look. "Are you _serious_?" He exclaimed, looking at Daxter as if he had grown a second head.

"Hey, you should at least give it a shot Tall, Dark and Gruesome," The Ottsel retorted, putting his hands onto his hips. "Besides, _I _couldn't do it since my fingers have nothing but fur on them – literally!" For emphasis, he showed his friend his furry fingers.

Jak rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He slowly raised a finger then put it into his mouth. Pikachu had woken up when the green/blonde pulled his finger out, now covered in drool.

Pikachu blinked before he looked over at Daxter. "(Hey, what is he-?)"

He didn't get to finish when Jak quickly put the wet finger into Ash's ear-

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"**_

The scream made most of the residents of Haven City to bolt from their beds, some birds fly away in panic, made most of the Metal Heads in some areas look at the city (or in the general direction of the place) in confusion, some members of the KG crash their Zoomers into other Zoomers, and even a few people (Errol being one of them [Errol: Dammit!]) to fall down in shock…

…Hell, it even reached an island of sorts that – literally – has a desert, and the residents in a city of sand and stone, which is next to the ocean, are looking around in confusion.

"…The hell is that?" One of them, a stout looking man and with a long handle-bar mustache spoke up a moment after it ended.

Back at the hideout, the scream also startled the kid and Oshawott from their sleep, the two of them looking around wildly until they noticed the black haired boy rubbing his ear furiously as the Ottsel cackled.

"Wet Willy!" He exclaimed before he resumed laughing.

"Eww…" Ceil and Pikachu (in his own language) grimaced, cringing at the deed.

Ash glared at the one responsible (Jak quickly pointed at Daxter and mouthed 'His idea'), the Ottsel still laughing. _'Just you wait; I'm going to get back at you!'_ The raven haired boy mentally vowed.

"Move aside you guys," he said, swinging his legs over the bed. Once the young man (and the still laughing Ottsel) moved, Ash slid out of the bed and started to do some stretches (the kind of stretches Japanese people do when they wake up and such). As he did, the kid blinked a bit. Slowly, he slid out of the bed, Oshawott looking at him curiously before the kid started to copy what Ash is doing. Once he was done, he took in a deep breathe through his nose-

The scent of something warm and delicious entered his nose. Startled, he sniffed some more. Then, with a dumb look, he asked, "Is that food I smell?"

"Wha-?" The next thing they knew, a wind somehow blew by them as Ash ran (at a speed that can make the fastest character proud) to the dining room.

Daxter blinked, pausing his hysterical laugh, a bit amazed. "Damn, that kid can run."

"(You don't even want to know how fast he eats,)" Pikachu said, shaking his head a bit. This earned a confused look from the Ottsel.

"How come?"

_A few minutes later..._

Ciel was calmly eating her food, along with Pikachu.

Jak and Daxter made a combination of a surprised/stunned looks at what they were seeing.

The kid looked at the green/blonde as Oshawott blinked on occasion as she held a piece of fruit.

Ash took large bites from two of the fruits in his hands, eating them vigorously as if his life depended on it. He quickly washed down the fruit with a tall glass of water before he resumed eating, even the food that was on the plate before him.

Jak, who had a piece of fruit in his hand, continued to stare in stunned horror/shock, his mouth agape. The fruit in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell onto the table. Yet he didn't look like he noticed.

"(You get used to it,)" Pikachu told them, taking another bite from his fruit.

"Uh…"

"Listen up ladies!" Torn's voice spoke up. Ash paused in his eating as the people on the table looked over at the ex-Commander, who entered the room.

After swallowing, Ash asked, "What is it Torn?"

"Don't respond to '_ladies_'," Daxter whined, "it ain't _manly_…"

Almost everyone rolled their eyes at the comment. _Almost_. "Anyways, once you four are done, get dressed and come to the central room," Torn ordered them, "I have a mission in mind for you guys." After that, he left the room.

Everyone in the room glanced at each other, before Ash shrugged. The group resumed eating their breakfast.

_A bit later…_

Once the five have been properly dressed (and since they had washed up the night before and their clothes washed and dried), they stood behind Torn as he looked over a map of sorts. After a few moments of silence, he turned to them.

"Alright, yesterday, you, Pikachu and Ciel did a great job of turning the water back on in the Slums." He then chuckled. "I'd _love_ to see the heads roll when the Baron finds out."

"Yeah," Jak piped up sarcastically, "I'm sure he's losing _lots_ of sleep over this _armpit_ of the city."

"Uh, so Torn," Ash spoke up quickly, wanting to avoid any fights in the morning, "What's the mission you had in mind for us?"

The auburn haired man rolled his eyes. "Actually, I had this mission in mind for Ash and Pikachu," he admitted, "But because of what they did yesterday, they're bringing their charges with them."

"Say what!" Daxter and Ciel exclaimed.

"But that's not fair!" The pink/red haired girl complained, "The three of us has been here in the Underground longer than those two! I should get some piece of the action as well!"

"Keep talking like that, I'm not going to give you a mission." Ciel immediately shuts up. "Good," Torn nodded, then looked back at the other males. "The mission I have in mind is for you guys to take care of an ammo dump we've I.D'd in the KG Fortress."

"Fortress, say what?" Ash blinked in surprise, as if he heard it wrong.

"WOAH! Hold on a _minute_ buster!" Daxter exclaimed, hopping onto the table, "We barely managed to escape with our _lives_ yesterday! Now you're going to send us back there to take care of some ammo?"

"Then ask _him_," Torn jabbed his thumb at Ash, "on how to get in there. How he managed to get in there two times is beyond me."

Ash shrugged. "Luck?"

Pikachu smacked his forehead.

Torn merely rolled his eyes. "Anyway, even though there are a lot of Krimzon Guards and constant patrols, we _know_ it's vulnerable." He pointed at the section of the map of the KG Fortress, and made a circle around it. "The ammo is around this area of the Fortress, thankfully restricted from the rest of the building."

The green/blonde raised an eyebrow at that, but then reasoned that there might be some other prisoners in the building. He could care less about the guards though…

"And the Underground needs _you_" he pointed at Jak, Ash and Pikachu before he swiped his hand back to the table, accidently knocking Daxter across the table as he added, "to blow up all the ammo you find inside."

"Woah, isn't that a bit extreme?" Ash asked, as Daxter sat on the table dizzily.

"Nope," Ciel piped up, "'Extreme' is where you had to take out a Metal-Saur with nothing but a Peace Maker." Pikachu gave the girl an odd look.

"If you guys managed to get all of it, then we'll be able to deal a body blow to the Baron," the auburn haired man finished.

At that, Daxter finally got his head cleared and gave Torn a glare. "You're sending _us_ in, tough guy!" He exclaimed. "So what's with this '**we'll** deal a body blow' stuff?"

"That's fine," Jak cut in. When everyone turned to look at him, a smirk was threatening to appear on his face. "I _want_ the Baron to know, that it's **me**" he slammed his fist into his other open palm, "who's hurting him."

Ash stared at him. Then: "Alright, alright," he sighed. He placed his helmet on. "Let's go you guys!"

"Oh, _great_…" Daxter moaned, before Jak picked him up and the four left the base.

Once the four are gone, Ciel turned to Torn. "So what's _my_ mission?"

Torn smirked. "I've got one for you."

* * *

><p><strong>0630 hours; The Slums<strong>

"So how are we going to get in there?" Daxter asked once they exited the hideout, the sliding door behind them closing.

Ash crossed his arms, putting on a thoughtful look.

"Look," Jak suddenly spoke up, "we'll cross that bridge as soon as we get there." However, on the inside, he felt… nervous. He had spent two whole years in that hellish place; he was afraid that he'll end up back in there, and put into _more_ torture. Or worse.

He did his best, however, to not show his fear, hiding it under his stoic stance. And it seemed to be working.

'_I'm only going back there to hurt the Baron is all,'_ he enlightened himself. Yeah… that's what they're doing. Just going to deal a blow to the Baron. Making him feel the hurt that the man had put him through.

"Okay," Ash suddenly spoke up, getting the older male out of his thoughts, "I think the best way to get there is through walking. Because, who would expect a couple of people coming up to them?"

"That sounds reasonable," Daxter piped up.

"Um, right," Jak muttered, not entirely in the right state of mind. And so the four made their way to the KG Fortress.

_A few minutes later…_

"Huh, that's strange…" Ash let out, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Why? Because, for some odd reason, when the four of them got there… there aren't any guards to, uh, guard the entrance.

"Hey, it's pretty convenient in my book," Daxter said.

"(Yeah, _too_ convenient…)" Pikachu narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Hey, it works either way, doesn't it?" Apparently, Daxter didn't see the threat that might occur because of this.

Jak groaned in frustration. "Whatever, let's just go in," he said, taking the lead. The duo from the Pokémon world gave each other a look before Pikachu shrugged. Ash sighed and they followed after the older male.

So the quartet walked up the ramp to the armored door. When they neared it, it opened automatically to let them in (Ash: Doesn't _anyone_ else find that suspicious?). As they walked into the room, they found themselves in the lobby…

…And found a big, red _tank_ sitting there.

"Woah!" They all exclaimed, hiding behind the door. Yet it didn't even seem to notice them. Slowly, Ash moved away from the door and walked into the room. Still no reaction from the tank. Jak, too, slowly walked in warily.

"Okay…" Ash let out, knocking on the side of the tank. The last time he saw the thing (which was last night), it was inactive; but now… now they could clearly hear the engine running. "This wasn't on when we snuck in here last night…"

Daxter stood up on Jak's shoulder and looked around. "And it doesn't seem like we can find a way to the ammo dump- Oh wait what about over there?"

Everyone looked over to where Daxter is pointing, seeing that the pathway on the left is open, not blocked by an electrical field.

"Okay, doesn't anyone else find that a _little _suspicious?" Ash asked, not trusting the convenience anymore.

Truth be told, Jak also had a feeling that something was amiss. Yet he couldn't figure out what it is. "Let's hurry and get this over with," he said, making his way over the open pathway. And soon, Ash followed, though with reluctance.

But when the older teen set foot around the perimeter of the opening…

"_Unauthorized use of Fortress door. Activating security tank." _The four of them froze as the alarm went off.

"Uh… did the voice say that they'd activate a security tank?" Daxter asked.

"Yup," Ash said.

"It's the one behind us, isn't it?"

Pikachu and Jak looked behind them, seeing the tank's large gun pointed at them as it began to turn.

"OH F-"

* * *

><p>"For God's sake, quit <strong>complaining <strong>Watanuki!" A female palmed her face, exasperated by the other boy.

"I still couldn't believe she tricked me to be her slave! And how in the hell did _you_ end up in her clutches?" The second one said, irritably cooking something.

"Hey, I've been here long before you came along. Besides, she's my master."

"Yeah, but why would a girl like you would be-"

"_**AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**_ Two heads look up at the ceiling.

"What the heck is that?"

The first one shrugged. "Sounded like a couple of guys running for their lives from something big."

The second turned to the first and stares. "…I'm not even going to ask **how** you could figure that out."

* * *

><p>"BAD DAY, BAD DAY, <em>BAD DAY<em>!" Ash screamed (déjà-vu for Daxter) as he and Jak ran for their lives from the trigger happy tank.

They had ran down a linear path, going through weird-ass pitfalls, managing to dodge laser-guided turrets, and they also ran past surprised Krimzon Guards in their rush to get away from the security tank.

Yet the large red machine is persistent. It managed to find ways to go after them, busting down metal bars that made up the wall, and relentlessly shoot at the four. Even when they came into a different room, the tank still burst through the door and followed them.

"OH GEEZE, OH _CRAP!_ WHICH WAY DO WE GO?" Daxter screamed out, as they all looked around to avoid the tank. Pikachu quickly spotted some large crates near one of the walls that have a ledge connected to the metal walkways above them.

"(Over there!)" The Pokémon exclaimed, pointing at them. The others quickly looked towards where the Pokémon is pointing and quickly ran over to them, climbing and jumping up on them as fast as they could.

Just in time too, as the tank came to their area. Yet it still tried to shot at them. The quartet used the walkways as cover from the blasts, but then they came upon a problem.

"Oh great!" Ash groaned, "How are we going turn off the barrier?" It was true; the only exit in the room is on the other end, and between them and the exit are two rotating platforms, each with glass-like containers that contained electricity within each one.

At that moment, Daxter had a sudden epiphany. "Hey! Try breaking those glass containers!" he said helpfully.

And Ash also had a _ding_ moment. "Good idea Daxter!" The raven haired boy exclaimed, pulling out his Morph-Gun and fired at the containers. A couple of them missed (and some of them somehow hit a random guard, got outside the fortress and blasted a random antenna, blasted a part of the animatronic Hip-Hog off, hitting a random Metal-Head someplace with a lot of metal and stuff, and _even_ breaking the window to Praxis' Palace [Praxis: What the _hell_?]) but he managed to blast the containers, breaking them, and managed to disable the electric field blocking the exit. Ash gave the gun a critical look. "Okayyyy, maybe I shouldn't have turned down his offer…"

"C'mon!" Jak, with some strange-ass reflexes, quickly cleared the platforms (with Daxter in tow) and was already at the other side.

Ash's eye twitches irritably, at how cheap the two are doing. And that also brought out his competitive side; there's no way in hell he would be outdone! Putting on a determined face, he quickly jumped onto a platform, nearly losing his balance before, waiting for the other platform from the other rotator to reach him before he jumped onto it, all the while the tank tried to shot them. The raven haired boy finally managed to reach the other side and paced forward a bit, still hearing the tank still trying to shot at them.

A couple of feet away from the doorway, Ash and Pikachu sighed in relief, slumping forward a little. "That was close…" The boy muttered.

"What took you guys so long?" The two of them jumped a bit, as Jak was leaning against the wall near them, Daxter as well. It was Jak who spoke up.

The two of them turned to the duo, Ash patting his chest to calm his heart. "Y-You jerk!" The boy childishly exclaimed, "You've gotten a head start!"

Jak merely shrugged. "Nah, you were probably too slow."

The raven haired boy glared at the older male, while Pikachu just palmed his face.

Jak put on a serious look, looking down the hall on the other end. "But c'mon," he said, "The ammo dump won't blow itself up."

A pause. Then:

"Wishful thinking?" Daxter piped up meekly.

At that, even Ash groaned, exasperated with Pikachu and Jak. "Let's just get moving," Ash, taking the role of the leader (for a bit), ordered and began to lead the way.

_Sometime later…_

After a series of going over a lot more bottomless pitfalls, conveyor belts with spikes on them that acquired precise timing, and moving platforms (not to mention a bunch of Krimzon Guards around) they finally came upon a room. Boxes and barrels of every kind were stacked not-so-neatly throughout the room, and large stacks of missiles were set up in corners. In the middle of the room was a humongous missile sticking out of the floor with smaller missiles around it.

Ash grinned, and rubbed the bottom of his nose as his and Jak's partner jumped off of their shoulders to stretch their legs. "Who wants to bet that we finally found the ammo dump?"

"Yeesh," Daxter let out, looking around the mess, "you'd think that they could clean up a little?"

Jak shook his head, then his eyes caught sight of something on top of a barrel near him. He picked it up and examined it. "What's this?"

Three heads turned to him, and Daxter perked up. "Hey cool! That's a security pass Jak!" He explained, "With that, we'll be able to go through city checkpoints!"

The green/blonde male looked over the card-like device again. Then he smirked, flipped the device and grabbed it again. "Ah, yeah! Now we're getting somewhere!"

"(I feel sorry for some unfortunate bastard to have left it up here,)" Pikachu commented as Jak pocketed the security pass.

"Fortunate for us!" Daxter corrected the Pokémon with a smug smirk.

Pikachu was about to reply to that-

Until a large banging noise interrupted everyone. After a moment of being on edge, Jak placed a finger to his mouth and shushed everyone. He looked around for the source, then saw that it came from a large, thick metal grate. He made a "C'mon" gesture, motioning the other three to follow him as they tip-toed over to it, gathering around it and peered down into the floor below. In the room below, a bunch Krimzon Guards were standing next to a rather huge pile of barrels. They were facing a large steel pipe, in which a bunch Metal Head Grunts was poised and ready.

"These barrels are the latest shipment of Eco," one Krimzon Guard said. "The Baron says take them and **get out**!"

In response to this hostility, the Metal Heads growled and took a few menacing steps toward them. The Krimzon Guard readied their rifles in return. After a few moments of tense silence, the Metal Heads seemed to have lost their hostility; they backed down a bit before they started to take the Eco with them. Satisfied by this, the guards left the room.

With our heroes, they couldn't help but feel shocked yet confused by this.

"Metal Heads _in the city_?" Jak mumbled. "Why are the guards giving them _Eco_…?"

"And why would they do that if the Metal Heads are the enemy?" Ash added in a low voice.

"I don't know!" Daxter snapped quietly, "I'm not the one who came up with this!"

"(The Baron's an idiot for doing this,)" Pikachu spoke up in a hushed voice. "(I mean, giving the enemy Eco? That's pretty dumb in my opinion.)" At his palace, Baron Praxis sneezed.

The quartet moved away from the grating and they looked around a bit. "Okay… how do we blow this place up?" Ash muttered, rubbing his chin.

"Try using your Aura Sight Ash," Daxter piped up.

"Oh right," the raven haired male muttered. But before he had a chance to lower his visor, they heard a sound next to them. They looked towards the source, seeing _another_ security tank being activated and pointed its twin turrets at the four intruders.

They stood there for another moment, even as a red targeting reticle bathed the whole group in red light. Then they all said:

"Oh shit/crap."

Daxter and Ash let out panicked screams as the four of them quickly started running, the partners getting on their friend's shoulder once more. As they ran, the targeting reticle followed them before stopping to fire. The resulting blasts of Eco destroyed a bunch of crates that had been in the way.

The two males quickly separated, Jak hiding behind a missile near the wall as Ash quickly hid behind a missile near the valve connected to the larger missile. To the boy's misfortune, the tank decided to take out the young Pokémon Trainer first. As the reticle bathed Ash's hiding area in red light, Jak took notice and did a take.

"Ash, get out of there!" He exclaimed.

"Wha-" The boy noticed the red light and he quickly ran out of the way in time before the tank shot at the missiles. Including the valve, with pressurized smoke starting to rise rapidly from the empty space, and an alarm went off.

And that gave Daxter a _ding_ moment. "Hey, let use this thing to blow up the ammo dump _for_ us!"

Jak grinned at his friend. "You're a genius Dax!" He praised his friend before he quickly put the plan in use. "Hey, over here!" He called out, waving to get the tank's attention. It worked, the turrets turning their attention towards the Demolition Duo, before Jak quickly ran off to the other valve connected to the warhead. Predictably, the tank fired upon him and (with Jak dashing out of the way) ended up taking out the second valve.

"Two more!" Ash exclaimed, and it got the tank's attention, like he intended.

The tank continued to move around the missile, doing its best to fire upon the moving targets but failing. There were a couple of times where the tank failed to hit a valve, but such mistakes were soon corrected without either Jak or Ash getting shot.

Finally, the fourth valve was destroyed, and the room's lights changed to a warning red. _"Danger. Warhead detonation imminent. Evacuate immediately."_

"Well **thanks** for stating the obvious!" Daxter sarcastically exclaimed, just as a door in the back of the room opened up.

"That must be our exit!" Ash exclaimed, he and Jak immediately bolting for it and Daxter and Pikachu got on their own feet to hightail it out even faster.

The smoke was coming out fast enough to envelop the whole missile in seconds. Everything seemed to have gone in slow motion, as the four ran to the doorway as fast as their legs could take them.

As they reached the doorway, Jak prepared to make one last flying leap out of the door in the precious time they had. But the warhead chose that moment to explode, and the resulting force blew all four heroes out of the doorway with a fireball right behind them. Around the area, most of the people ran off as an explosion took place.

The four of them bounced off of a metal awning below, with Jak and Ash immediately knocked out, and the four of them landed on the ground.

It took a while for Pikachu and Daxter (the Pokémon lying on top of the Ottsel) to regain their senses. The electric-type got off of Daxter first, and rubbed his head.

"Ohh…." The Ottsel let out, also rubbing his head. "Man… this place has too much excitement. Me and Jak needed to move back to the country."

At the mention of Jak, the two of them immediately looked around for their human friends. "Speakin' of which, where are they?"

The two of them got up from the ground and looked around some more. They didn't have to look far, since their human friends are a few feet away from them. Daxter sighed in relief, and the two walked over to their friends. Yet as they got to where their heads are, they immediately gawked at what they saw, Pikachu having blue lines running down his head as Daxter's fur somehow turned green around his head.

Finally, the two males regained themselves, opening their eyes from the cloud of unconsciousness…

…And their eyes did a take as they, literally, found each other close to their faces.

And their lips are touching each other's.

"AGH!" The two of them quickly got up from each other and went a few feet away from each other, spitting and trying to clean their tongues to try to rid themselves of the other's germs. They dared a peek at each other and quickly looked away from each other, wincing and groaning in disgust.

The two of them suddenly turned their glare at Pikachu and Daxter and pointed at them. "Don't you **dare** tell anyone of this!" They both shouted, the looks in their eyes look like they'll be able to kill someone within a moment's notice.

"AH! WE WON'T! WE _SWEAR_ WE WON'T TELL!" Daxter exclaimed, him and Pikachu waving their hands comically to calm their friends.

**Slums; 0825 hours**

Ash was furiously brushing his teeth, using some of the water spouting from the pipes to rinse the dental paste. And Jak was doing the same. (And where they got those, not even I know…)

"Aw man…" Ash muttered, after spitting out some used water. "I'm going to need some brain bleach to get that image out of my head…"

"You think you guys are the only ones who wanted some brain bleach?" Daxter exclaimed, jabbing his finger at them, "I needed to find at least _something_ to get rid of that image in my head!"

"(Oh, for the Precursor's sake, _shut_ **up**!)" Pikachu muttered, holding his head in his hands.

After the raven haired boy had finished cleaning his mouth, he was about to walk off-

Until his communicator rang.

"Huh?" He muttered, digging into his pocket to pull it out. He pressed a button on it and said, "Hello?"

"_Ash, there you are."_

The raven haired boy winced. Oh crap, it's Krew! "Uh… what is it, sir?"

"_Boy, I have a job for you," _the crime lord on the other end, _"I want you and your pet to go to one of the hotels I have my clients stationed at a few times. One of them has a package that I've 'ordered'; so I want you to head over there and pick it up. Once you do, bring it back to the Hip-Hog, pronto. No questions asked."_

Ash grimaced, casting a glance at Jak – who's still trying to clean his mouth – and Daxter. He didn't want to leave these guys, Torn's orders and all, but… Well, after being with Krew for nearly a month and a half (though mostly with Sig), the trainer found out that the crime lord can be really… vindictive with his workers.

He just hopes Torn will understand.

"Okay… we will," he cut off communications and pocketed it. He then turned to Jak and Daxter. "Hey, you guys," he said, "Pikachu and I gotta go and do an errand. So can you two go back to the HQ and tell Torn about what I'm doing, okay?"

"(Why?)" Pikachu asked, looking up at him curiously.

Ash just mouthed _Krew_.

"(Aw _what_!)" Pikachu complained before he and Ash took off somewhere, "(We gotta do what the _fat_ guy tells us to do?)"

Daxter watched the two of them go, as Jak was still brushing his teeth, blinking a bit in confusion. _'Who the heck are they talkin' about?'_ He thought.

_Later…_

Daxter hopped onto the central table, declaring, "The Demolition Duo has returned! One barbecued ammo dump served up hot!"

After Jak was done cleaning his mouth, Daxter told him that Ash and Pikachu are doing an errand for someone, and that the raven haired male wanted them to return to the Underground HQ, where they found Torn with his back to them, looking over his curved knife.

Said man, upon hearing Daxter, rolled his eyes and said nothing, looking more at his knife.

Jak decided to speak up to change the subject. "We saw something odd while torching that ammo," he reported. "The Baron's guards were giving barrels of _Eco _to a group of _Metal Heads_!"

Torn looked over his shoulder in surprise. "Really!" This finally caused him to face the two properly. "The Shadow will be _very_ interested to hear that." Then he noticed that the duo is missing two more troublemakers. "By the way, where is Ketchum and his electric rat?"

"The two of them said that they got an errand to do," Jak answered.

"And, apparently, they're also working for some fat guy," Daxter added in.

Torn's eyes widened a little, biting the inside of his cheek. _'Damn. Krew got those two to do a job for him…'_ And just when he got a mission for them too…

"Y'know," Daxter interrupted the auburn haired man's thoughts, "so far, _your_ gigs have been easier than stealing **grass** from a sleeping Yakkow."

As Jak shook his head disapprovingly, Torn couldn't help but be amused. "So you and the rodent want to start proving yourselves?" He said with a chuckle. "I was planning on giving Ash and Pikachu this mission, since they know this guy better, but you two will do." Jak and Daxter shifted their eyes to glance at each other before back at him, just as he added, "One of our… 'suppliers' needs his payment delivered – a bag of Eco ore." He reached for a box by his feet and pulled out the said large brown cloth bag, filled with something that made it a bit lumpy.

He tossed the bag at Jak, who barely managed to catch it. "Take the Zoomer parked out back and drive it to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in South Town. Ask for a guy named Krew – he'll be there. And _don't_ let the Baron's patrols stop you."

As Torn explained the details, Daxter seemed to have taken it seriously, his eyes darting left and right suspiciously as if there would be potential eavesdroppers in the pipework.

"By the way, here," Torn set something down and slide it over to them. That something is another communicator. As Jak picked it up, Torn added, "You should probably use that to find your way there, and to not get lost; and if you have a Red Security pass, you can use that to get there instantly. And when you get to the Hip Hog, pump Krew for information. He's wired into the city and may know what the Baron is up to."

"**You** can **count** on **us**!" Daxter declared confidently.

Torn wasn't impressed. "Get the hell out of here you two," he said, turning his back to them.

Jak, after examining the device for a bit, found a slot where the pass could fit into it. He slipped it in, and the communicator beeped, indicating that it had registered the other device. He nodded before looking at Daxter, who looked back at him. "Let's move."

"Right-o!" Daxter exclaimed before the duo left HQ.

After they did, Torn looked up at the ceiling, thinking, _'Praxis… Errol… What the hell are you two doing? If only the real ruler of Haven were here…'_

* * *

><p><strong>Hip Hog Heaven Saloon; 0850 hours<strong>

After putting in a few more adjustments into the Peacemaker, Sig pulled his gun back to examine it. Satisfied with the upgrade he had done to it, he nodded before he set it down onto the table. _'Okay, let's hope that the Peacemaker will charge up a bit faster this time.'_ He thought to himself.

Of course, Krew won't give him a mission anytime soon. Even though Ash and Pikachu are pretty decent so far, Krew wanted one more 'lackey' to do some more jobs the fat crime lord had in mind. Because, apparently, two people can't do different jobs at once.

But to tell the truth, that kid doesn't seem to be a ruthless type. He's a nice kid, but niceness can only go so far. Yet he also couldn't picture the kid as a guy who craves mayhem.

However… he's been in this city for far too long. It's been three years since he's been here. Yet he's _still_ unable to find the tyke. Even though he was only two years old when he was kidnapped, this boy was the king's kid! The whole family is incredibly resilient, able to survive practically anything… but he hoped that the kid wasn't dead. He needed to find that kid, and quick.

But as he grabbed his gun again, he couldn't help but think about his younger half-sister. He hadn't seen her in a while. Well… maybe as soon as he's done a couple of jobs for Krew, he'll come home to Spargus and see her-

The doors to the entrance to the Hip Hog slide open. "You think this is the place?" A husky voice piped up.

"I hope so!" Another voice, thin and high pitched, exclaimed, "We have to go through some blockades from the KG to bring this Krew guy the ores!"

The Wastelander turned to the source, seeing a young man with blonde hair and green roots, wearing mostly blue with… a strange critter on his left shoulder. In the young man's hand is a large cloth bag. Sig blinked. These two must be the new recruits or something, because he didn't think he's seen them before.

The young green/blonde male looked around a bit before he looked at Sig-

A strange expression crossed his face, with him tilting his head a bit and raised an eyebrow, as if he had never seen the Wastelander before. Yet his deep cobalt blue eyes tell another story. Sig himself raised an eyebrow; did this guy think he's familiar or something?

"Anyways," the orange rodent spoke up, grinning, "let me handle the negotiations Jack. Watch my _finesse_ and _style_."

The rodent jumped off, taking the bag from the male's hands, and Jack said, "Don't forget to ask-"

"Everything's cool," the orange critter declared to no one in particular, cutting him off, walking to him with the bag hefted over his shoulder. "Nobody panic." Well, it's still early in the morning, and the Hip Hog won't be getting some customers until later on today. "Hey there, big guy," he waved at him before going under his legs.

Sig followed him with his eye, even turning his head a bit to watch it – or rather him, since his voice sounds like a male – to see where it'll go. Though, when the critter looked up, he had a feeling that he was… pretty shocked to see Krew-

Wait, when did he come in? Dammit… either his reflexes are dropping a bit, or he's getting too damn soft around here!

Though he moved aside for the other guy, Jack, to get a look at Krew as well. And he could see his eyes widened a bit after seeing the man. But he should see how this will play out…

_Sometime earlier…_

"TURN LEFT! NO, NO, THE **OTHER **LEFT!" Daxter screamed, gripping Jak's head with a death grip. Behind them, a lot of KG Zoomers tried to shot or ram them.

A while ago, they crossed the border that blocked them from the Industrial Zone from the Slums, and soon after that, the KG are on their asses. There are even blockades trying to cut them off too!

So Jak had to use the light-single yellow and blue Zoomer to make it fly as fast as it could go, trying to make himself very hard to hit, and made some sharp U-turns to get around. It was difficult at first, but the duo managed to make it into the official South Town area.

Jak took a quick glance around the new area, before he quickly returned his attention to his driving. He drove over the large expanse of water in the semicircular port, to reach the saloon on the other side.

"WOAH CRAP! INCOMING KG AT TWO O'CLOCK!" Daxter exclaimed, pointing at the upper corner of his right, forcing Jak to switch to the lower zone to dodge a KG Zoomer trying to ram them, followed by dodging bullets by swerving around a lot, making him _very _hard to hit.

'_Damn, these guys are persistent!'_ Jak cursed mentally, gritting his teeth. He reeved the thing to full gear, making it go faster, towards… is that a Hip Hog over it? Then that must be their destination!

Smirking recklessly, he gunned the Zoomer some more, making it go at top speed. As he got near it, the KG seemed to have given up the chase. He figured that they realized that either they won't catch him or that they figured that he was merely doing a delivery for this Krew guy. By the time Jak disembarked in front of the saloon's door, everything seemed to have gone back to normal.

A bit disturbed by this, Jak quickly took the bag off the Zoomer (before all this, he tied it so that he wouldn't have to hold onto it), holding it firmly in his hand as he walked through the door to the saloon.

If he was expecting anything grand about the saloon, he was quite disappointed. As he looked around, he asked Daxter, "You think this is the place?"

"I hope so!" He exclaimed, standing up a bit to look around himself, "We have to go through some blockades from the KG to bring this Krew guy the ores!"

Jak grunted a bit, looking around some more before he shifted his eyes to the other occupant he hadn't noticed before-

A memory flickered. He tilted his head at the tanner man. _'Have I… seen this guy before?' _He must've made his face funny or something, because the man also raised an eyebrow as well.

"Anyways," Daxter suddenly piped up with a grin, breaking the spell and Jak looked at him, "let me handle the negotiations Jak. Watch my _finesse_ and _style_."

As Daxter jumped off, he snatched the bag from him. "Don't forget to ask-"

"Everything's cool," Daxter declared, cutting him off. "Nobody panic." He hefted the bag over his shoulder and walked over to the man. "Hey there, big guy." He waved at the man before stepping through the armored man's legs.

Daxter was gone from sight and-

…Holy crap, who the **hell** is_ that?_ The armored guy moved out of the way and Jak could've sworn his jaw might've gone to hell and back as his eyes had widened in complete shock. _'Is… Is this a _human_?'_ He asked himself, his eye twitching. He had _never_ seen anyone so _unbelievably_ **fat**! Sure the Fisherman and the Red Sage are also big, but this- this is just… _mindboggling_!

Daxter must've been shocked as well, due to the small silence, his ears lowered a bit. Then Daxter spoke. "Uh… you Krew?" He cleared his throat, and he sounded confident when he added, "Well, we shook the heat, and your shipment's in _primo_ condition."

The fat guy – apparently Krew when he grinned _oh dear god, his TEETH!_ – and replied, "That's good, ey, because a cargo of rare Eco ore is worth more than _ten_ of your lives."

'_He's not serious, is he?'_ Jak bit back a grimace as Krew slowly hovered toward him. He had to back up a bit and put on a glare.

Krew let out a thoughtful grunt, tapping his chin a bit, saying, "And of course, I'd be forced to collect… _slowly_."

Chuckling, he began to hover around Jak, not minding him glaring back at the obese man without losing any ground. "Of course, the Underground will take anyone with a _pulse_ these days." Daxter then jumped onto Jak's shoulder plate, and Krew immediately took notice. "And what do we have here…? The Shadow's next mascot of the month?"

'_Next mascot?'_ Jak repeated in his head, briefly glancing at Daxter, who tried to look defiant, _'What did he mean-?'_

Both of their concentration broke when Krew scratched the Ottsel's chin and rubbed the fur on top of his head. "Oooh, soft…" Krew noted as he moved back (with Daxter sticking out his tongue a bit in disgust, while Jak cringed a bit). Glancing at the armored man, he said, "Sig, this fur would go well with my silk suits, ey?"

Wait, so _that's _Sig? How come Ash didn't tell them that he was working with _this_ guy?

"Uh, listen, eh, _tons_ of _fun_," Daxter cut in nervously, prompting everyone to look at him, "anyone can see that… you, uh, and I have the real juice in this 'burg…"

Jak blinked and gave a confused look at Krew and Sig, who just gave each other confused looks in return. Yet Daxter didn't seem to notice as he kept nervously rambled on, sinking lower and lower behind Jak with each sentence. "We're both players, right?" We're both lookin' for a piece of the action, right? I think we can do business… right?"

Jak palmed his face. "Look, we did you a favor!" He exclaimed, already having enough of Daxter's '_finesse_ and _style_'; and none of them didn't even hear the door open as he added, "Now it's your turn. _Why_ is the Baron giving Eco to Metal Heads!"

Krew's face managed to get even uglier with his rage. "Questions like that could get a person _killed_, ey!" He shouted, closing in on Jak menacingly.

Jak gritted his teeth and brought up his arms in a defensive stance-

"Uh…" Until a voice piped up meekly. All eyes turned to the source.

Seeig a certain helmet-wearing boy (holding a long black box in his arms) with a yellow mouse next to him, the two of them standing in front of the door with a surprised expression on their faces.

"Is… this a bad time to come in?" Ash asked, blinking a bit.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

"WHAT! A CLIFFHANGER?" Daxter exclaimed off-screen.

"(A _what_?)" Pikachu asked, wondering what the hell the Ottsel is talking about.

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: 'Mr. Forgetful' gets what he deserves.<strong>

"Okay," Ash stated, both he and Pikachu glaring at the four-eyed concierge working at the hotel they're at, a couple of band-aids on their bodies, "tell me again: How could you _forget_ telling us about most of the rough inhabitants in this hotel?"

"I'm afraid it must've slipped my mind," he said, in a rather refined accent, not looking at them as he typed onto the computer a bit. "I am quite busy after all."

Had he looked at the duo, he would've seen their glares intensify a bit. Ash pulled out a familiar metal object and patted its underside a couple of times with the other open palm.

Throughout the hotel, a couple of occupants could've sworn they heard a loud smack of something hard and metal colliding against something.

Sometime after that, Ash and Pikachu walked out of the Westside Hotel, the former carrying the black box while the latter crossed his arms in disgust.

"(Prick,)" Pikachu said, referring to the concierge back there.

"Yeah, he was," Ash nodded, agreeing with the Pokémon. He looked at the Mouse Pokémon. "Do you think anyone would notice?"

"(I dunno,)" he shrugged. "(But I guess there are a bunch of people who thought that he had what's coming to him.)"

"I guess…" Ash's voice sounded out as the 'camera' focused on the concierge, knocked out on his desk. With a large lump and swirly eyes to boot.

* * *

><p>…<strong>I thought I'd NEVER finish this chapter! Oh, and in case you're wondering why Reshiram (the mascot of Pokémon Black) appeared, well… that's a secret I wanted to keep for the time being.<strong>

**Next chapter:**** After a bit of gun training, the quartet went with Sig to 'bag' in five nasty Metal Heads at the Pumping Station. Later, Krew got them doing separate jobs: Ash and Pikachu had to deliver something for a client of his while Jak and Daxter have to go to… the SEWERS? Oh god… ****See how well they'll do in the next chapter of:**_Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: As you can see, I edited out the cutscene that was shown at the beginning of Jak II. Little kids tend to copy what some people they look up to do. The part where Jak and Ash 'kissed' is a combination of Naruto and Sasuke's accident along with the scene in the Emperor's New Groove where Pacha was about to perform CPR on Kuzco and what happened afterwards a bit. Sorry, Errol only got a cameo appearance in this chapter.)**

**Review please!**


	9. Chapter 8

**I forgot to add in the last chapter: from what I saw in the YouTube video of the Daxter walkthrough, the Concierge is quite a jerk. And a snobby one at that.**

**Disclaimer:**** The Pokémon series is owned by Nintendo and Game Freak; the Jak & Daxter series is owned by Naughty Dog and Sony.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Training, Deliveries, and the SEWERS? ? Oh my (god)!<strong>_**(Daxter was grinning under the title, holding a marker, since he's the one who added the other question mark and the 'god' part.)**_

An awkward silence filled the Hip Hog as everyone pretty much stared at each other. Both groups are surprised, but for different reasons. One group was surprised by the scene they just witnessed… the other is surprised by the entry of the first group.

Until Krew backed up from Jak (the latter feeling a bit lightheaded from taking in the former's stench), holding his arms out above him. "Ah, Ash, just the boy I wanted to see!" He exclaimed before he hovered over to the other male.

'_Wait, what?'_ Both Jak and Daxter thought at the same time, shocked. So _this_ is what Torn means when he said that Ash knew Krew…

"And no boy," the fat man added, ushering the Pokéduo in, "You've just come in at the right time."

Ash blinked and casted a glance at Jak and Daxter then back at Krew. "Right… Anyways," he lifted up the long black box for everyone to see, adding, "we got what you asked us to get at the Westside Hotel."

"Oh yeah," Daxter muttered as Sig took the box from the raven haired boy, "I remember that place. That concierge is a prick though…" Jak gave his friend an odd look.

Sig opened the package, taking hold of something within it and pulled it out-

The quartet couldn't help but blink. It was a Morph-Gun. _Another_ Morph-Gun, and it came with a strap and pouch combo. But where did Krew get his hands on it?

Said obese man looked quite pleased. "Excellent!" He seemed to consider something. "In fact…" he muttered before he looked over at Jak. "You," he said, pointing his fan at the blue clad young man, "what is your name?"

The green/blonde narrowed his eyes. "Jak." He said, evenly.

Krew smirked. "Very well, Jak," he said, "You had quite a spunk to demand such a thing from me," he took in a deep breath, "and of your skill to get here without a scratch. I believe you deserve… a bonus. Sig," he added, looking at the Wastelander with a pointed look.

The other man caught it and nodded before he slowly advanced on Jak. Jak backed up a bit, wary of the man before he held out the gun to him. The green/blonde glanced up at the tanned man and back at the gun, before he slowly reached out and grabbed it with both hands before he pulled it back to him, Sig releasing the gun doing so.

The green/blonde looked over the gun – _his_ gun – in awe… before he made an evil grin. He chuckled evilly. "Hell yeah…" he muttered to himself.

No one didn't notice Ash and Pikachu slumping over a little, sighing. They've gone through all of that work (accidentally running into couple of rough customers, avoiding man-eating plants, and…. some other stuff that shoulder _never_ be mentioned)… just so that Jak will be given his own Morph-Gun.

'_Well, on the bright side, at least Jak won't have to borrow my gun every time,'_ Ash enlightened himself.

"Now," Krew's voice brought Ash out of his thoughts, getting the raven haired male to look back at the others as the large man continued, "if you want to see what this baby can do, try the Gun Course outside. Show me some skill with that hardware, and I'll hire you for a job or two, ey?"

Still grinning evilly, he shared a look with Daxter, who gave him an evil grin back, before the duo quickly left the Hip Hog (but not before Jak quickly placed the strap on his back.).

After the duo had left, Ash was reminded of something. "Uh, yeah, I think I'll head over there as well," he announced, before he started to walk out, "I needed to practice using the Blaster Mod and all." And he took off before the two men could say anything, Pikachu as well.

The Pokéduo jogged a little to catch up to Jak and Daxter. "Hey Jak!" Ash exclaimed. The green/blonde turned a bit, with the Ottsel, to look at him, signifying that the older male's attention was grabbed. "You guys heading over to the Gun Course?"

"Well, yeah," Jak answered, as if it was obvious.

"I'm heading over there as well, to y'know, practice the Blaster Mod since I didn't get the chance to yesterday," Ash explained, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Jak gave him an incredulous look. "You've only gotten it yesterday?"

"Yup." Ash nodded.

"So you've pretty much mastered the basic form of it?"

"The Scatter Gun Mod?" Jak nodded. "Well, kinda," the raven haired boy admitted.

Jak palmed his face. "Let's just go," he sighed.

"Okay," Daxter nodded. A moment of silence. "Does anyone know where the Gun Course is?" Jak and Daxter immediately looked at the raven haired boy.

Ash sighed. "Follow me guys," he said, swiping his hand in a 'c'mon' gesture before he started to lead the group over to the course.

* * *

><p>Errol couldn't help but shake under his skin as he stood by Baron Praxis' side in his palace. His amber eyes are fixated on the hologram of a monster's head. But not just <em>any<em> monster. The leader of the Metal Heads.

"Have your underlings obtained the latest shipment of the Eco?" The Baron asked it.

"_**Not all of it,"**_ it grunted, _**"Before they could get the rest, the room where the shipment of the Eco is, and the rooms around it were suddenly blown to oblivion. Taking most of my underlings with it."**_

Both men in the room looked startled. "What?"

"_**You seemed surprised,"**_ it noted, taking in their expressions.

"It's nothing," the Baron said quickly, waving his hand to dismiss it. "I assure you, I will make it up with the next shipment of Eco!"

The Metal Head Leader seemed to narrow its eyes at the taller man. _**"My patience grow thin, my dear Baron. If you don't live up to your promise, there **__won't __**be a city next time."**_

Errol narrowed his eyes at the hologram. He opened his mouth to speak-

Until the Baron cut him off by saying, "It won't happen." Then he uttered under his breathe, "Not on my watch…"

The hologram of the Metal Head Leader's head nodded. _**"Until next time," **_the hologram said, before it blinked out.

When it did, the Baron turned to his Commander. "How the hell did that part of the fortress get _destroyed_? !" He demanded, glaring death at the shorter man.

The red haired man couldn't help but back up from the older man. "Baron Praxis, I assure you," he began, feeling a bit nervous, even holding his hands up to try to calm him, "I honestly have no idea how it happened; nor do I have a reason to believe that the Metal Heads or the guards hadn't done something around there."

Praxis audibly growled. He had an idea of who it might be. "The damn Underground… Torn must be all over this…"

Errol scoffed, unsurprised. _'The fool… did he honestly think he could help the Shadow win this?'_

The ex-Commander had quit the Krimzon Guard ever since that incident a couple of years ago; the incident that got Dead Town its name. Of course, a lot guards have lost their lives during that time. But Errol knew that the Baron was doing what he thought is right. He knows what's best for the city.

Especially…

"By the way," the Baron's voice brought the man out of his thoughts. He turned his attention back at him, just as he added, "What can you tell me about this short eared boy? The one you claimed to have mysterious powers."

Oh, that's right. He had mentioned it last night, but didn't get the chance to explain it. Errol nodded, before he told the Baron of what he knew of.

* * *

><p><strong>Hip Hog Heaven Saloon; 0920 hours<strong>

As soon as the quartet walked in, Krew floated over to them. "Excellent shooting you two," he praised them. Turning his attention to Jak, he asked, "Ever thought about being a Wastelander, _hmmm_?"

'_You call that 'excellent'?'_ Ash asked himself, glancing at Jak with a half-lidded bored look.

Much like before when he first used the Morph-Gun, Sig had given Jak a walkthrough of how to use the Scatter Shot mod. And as Jak went through the Gun Course, Sig had told the raven haired boy about a 'Wastelander move' that can be used for the Blaster mod. It took him a few tries, but he pretty much got the jest of it (though he needed some more practice before he could get the trick down). However, Jak _just_ had to own him again when he managed to beat the course… higher than _his_ score! And _that_ just ruined his pride a bit (though the 'bit' part was a bit exaggerated). So he decided to put his Blaster mod training on hold for a bit, trying to save whatever pride he had left.

He was brought back to reality when he heard Jak, as he looked at Sig, saying, "Can't say that I have." He scratched the back of his head a bit.

"Wastelanders find items from outside the city walls, ey," Krew explained. "Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through **my** hands." He clenched his pudgy hand as he said this. He calmed down a bit as he added, "Work for me, and I'll throw some of the sweeter items your way, hmmm?"

Jak stroked his goatee as he thought about it, making a thoughtful hum. "Let's see… Kill Metal Heads… Get some toys of mass destruction…" He smirked. "Sounds good to me."

Daxter suddenly popped up on Jak's shoulder. "Woah! _Slow down_, Jak and the fat man!" He cut in. "You two had better run that by me _again_, 'cause there's **no way** I'm going outside the city again to face more Metal Heads!"

"(Sorry to burst your bubble,)" Pikachu piped up, "(But Krew really doesn't care about your concerns.)"

As if to prove Pikachu's point, Krew said, as if he didn't hear (or ignored) Daxter, "Sig will show you the ropes." Then he floated away to let the dark skinned man take charge.

As Daxter shook his head in dismay (Daxter: "I can't believe this…"), Sig crossed his arms and grinned at the other duo. "So **you** two wanted to be Wastelanders, huh doughboys?"

"Uh-"

"Well, we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick," Sig cut off whatever Jak was going to say. "And by 'we' I meant that literally," he patted Ash on his shoulder, adding, "because Ash here is what you might call my apprentice. He's still a little green around gun work, but he makes up for it by doin' his best."

Jak raised a brow, looking at the other male. "Really?" Ash just made a helpless shrug.

"Anyways," Sig decided to change the subject, getting right to the point by saying, "Krew wants some new trophies to put butts in chairs at the Hip Hog."

'_Even though we got him some new ones _yesterday_?' _Ash thought with a bored look.

"So I'm gonna bag him five _nasty_ Metal Heads at the Pumping Station," Sig finished, grinning as he clenched his hand a bit when he said 'nasty'.

Daxter audibly gulped.

"Don't wet your fur, chili pepper," Sig assured the Ottsel, his grin turning mad, "'cause we're going to roll with the Peace Maker!" With that, he hefted up his heavy rifle for them to see, patting it a bit. From what Jak and Daxter could see, the barrel underneath the Metal Head skull looked powerful. _Very_ powerful.

"Woah, cool!" Daxter exclaimed, his fears all but forgotten in an instant. "I need to get me one o' those!" He used his hand to try to cover his mouth as he asked in a lowered tone, "Where'd you get it?"

"_Don't ask_," Krew cut in, flying back into the conversation circle (Ash and Pikachu nearly fell down in shock). As the duo tried to regain themselves, Krew explained, "Sig needs somebody to watch his back while he hunts Metal Heads, ey?"

Ash quietly cleared his throat. "Well, maybe with the two of us doing that, we could get the job done faster."

Sig nodded. "Much obliged Ash," focusing on all four of them, he added, "We'll meet at the Pumping Station you guys. Now, don't leave me dangling in the wind out there if _any_ of you have the nerve to be late."

Ash nervously closed his eyes and held his hands out. "No need to worry, Sig," he assured him, "We won't leave you to these guys."

"It's when you say that is where **I** worry the most, cherry" Sig said, crossing his arms for a brief moment. He glanced at the other duo. "You two ready?"

Jak and Daxter got serious. More than ready to go, Jak said, "Let's do it."

* * *

><p>Metal Head Grunts wondered around the Strip Mine, a few large, hornet-like Metal Heads flitting about with their wings flapping fast to try to keep it afloat. From behind one of the construction vehicles, Ciel mentally cursed at the predicament she found herself in.<p>

Of all missions, why assign her one that involved saving the ass if some guy named 'Vin'? Torn had explained to her that the place he was working at, the Strip Mines, came under attack by Metal Heads. One of the Underground's best informants happened to be here as well, considering that the said man happened to be the foreman of this mining operation.

She understood what the phrase 'a person wished they hadn't woken up this morning' meant now. _'Being taken seriously isn't all that glamorous now…'_ She muttered in her mind. Although, she had a feeling that Torn doesn't take _all_ of them seriously; especially Daxter.

The pink/red haired girl sighed. Oh well, she might as well get this over with and go back to the HQ. Putting her mouth in a thin, determined line, she pulled out her Eco Pistol and slowly pushed herself up from the ground, trying to not make a sound. She had to be careful around here; the slightest sound could set the Metal Heads off. And _that_ is the last thing she needed since last time…

She peeked over the corner of the machine, narrowing her eyes as she took stock of the Metal Heads roaming around. She needed to find Vin and get out of there as quickly as she could. All she needed to do is get pass the Metal Heads; but first, she needed to figure out where Vin is located.

And that would be the tricky part.

'_I'll just wing it,'_ she thought, narrowing her eyes into determined slits. She took a peek out again, taking a small step-

The dirt under her feet crunched under her weight. And she could hear various digging and scurrying sounds as if-

"(Beep)!" She exclaimed, just as two scorpion-like Metal Heads popped out of the ground. And, due to her exclamation, alerted the other Metal Heads about her presence.

'_Screw this!'_ She mentally growled, kicking the small Metal Heads away (with their Skull Gems popping out), before she took off running, barely dodging blasts of Dark Eco from the Metal Jackets.

The Metal Head Grunts turned their heads to see the female Wastelander, the girl quickly shot at them. Most of them missed-

Until one of them hit one of the Grunts at their Skull Gem, killing it instantly as said gem popped out its head. And that told them that the girl is an immediate threat. They growled, getting on all fours before they charged at her, just as the Metal Jackets continued to blast Dark Eco at her.

'_Bad day, bad day, bad day!'_ She mentally exclaimed in her head… while having a strangest feeling that two other people have also made that exclamation.

In her panic, she shot wildly at the Metal Heads in an attempt to make them stay back. Some of them managed to hit the monsters, but not enough to kill them. In fact, it seemed to anger them.

She quickly hid behind another machine, taking out the empty magazine and jamming a new one into the pistol. She remembered her brother's advice to conserve some ammo, in case that there might be more lurking about. With her craptastic luck, there's a possibility that it might be true. The best thing she could do is avoid them the best she could until she could find Vin. THEN she'll worry about what to do afterwards.

But as she dodged another Dark Eco blast from a Metal Jacket – that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere – avoiding these monsters is easier said than done…

She quickly dived away from her cover, and jumped to her feet. She ran as fast as she could to another machine, shooting back at them to get them to stay back from her. Soon, Ciel was using a hit and run tactic, shooting at her foes before running to the next cover, using her lithe body to her advantage.

But most tactics only last so long. It wasn't long until the girl was backed into the corner. At her left is a large pool of Dark Eco, where what seemed like Metal Head stalks growing out of it. And to her right is a seemingly bottomless pit.

She backed up, her back pressing against the wall as the Metal Heads slowly moved closer to her. Ciel held the pistol close to her, warily looking at each of them. Any one of them could attack her at a moment's notice. She felt her heart hammer in her chest, as she felt that her time in life is up; her life flashing before her eyes.

'_Oh man… Maybe I __**shouldn't**__ have left Spargus…' _She moaned in her head, sweat going down the side of her face. The pink/red haired girl mentally kicked herself for her own stupidity.

The female Wastelander prepared to make her final stand-

Until what seemed like blasts rained down on the Metal Heads, killing some of them while others are injured. She blinked in shock at what happened, lowering her gun. Where the hell did _that_ come from?

"Hey, up here!" A rather high-pitched voice spoke up above her. She looked up a bit then moved up a bit to try to get a look at who spoke up. She managed to see a head of white just above the metal platform, but nothing else.

"Hey! Are you Vin?" She hollered up to who she assumes to be a person.

The person let out a squeak – wait, squeak? – in surprise. "Who are you and- AH! Look out!"

Ciel blinked at the exclamation and turned around to see what he was screaming about-

She could only let out a gasp before her world went dark.

* * *

><p><strong>Pumping Station; 0950 hours<strong>

Sig blinked, confused.

He had left earlier from the Hip Hog to let the boys get ready for mission, and to scout out the Metal Heads that might appear around here. He wasn't disappointed when he saw the red, staff wielding Metal Heads roaming around. As he hid behind a couple of trees and a large, thick bush, he felt something… off.

Like… like Ciel is in trouble. But how can that be? She should be back home in Spargus!

…Is she?

The sound of footsteps behind him got him out of his thoughts. For a moment, he put up his guard, focusing his sense of hearing to know who it is. When he heard not the stomping of Krimzon Guard, nor the sounds of Metal Head feet, he dropped his guard at the same moment. He turned to the source, welcoming the two rooks and his apprentice with a playful smirk.

"You four are late," he said.

"Hey," Ash spoke up with mock annoyance, "Most of us wanted to look nice for their first impression."

Sig gave the raven haired boy a look. "Since when have you started becoming a sarcastic person?"

Ash crossed his arms. "I hang out with sarcastic people all the time."

"Hey," Daxter piped up, giving the raven haired boy an accusing look. "Are you accusing **us** for something?"

The helmet wearing boy looked innocent. "Maaaybe?" He put his hands behind his head.

Daxter still glared at the boy a little longer. Jak let out a snort before he covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laugh, but a few chuckles escaped. It wasn't long until everyone joined in on the mirth, the mood lightened up a bit.

Soon, the mirth ended, and Sig made a serious look before he motioned the four of them over to his side. Once they did, he gestured to the Juice Goon Metal Heads wondering about.

"Juice Goons…?" Ash muttered, his voice in disbelief. "Oh, I_ hate_ these guys…"

Sig couldn't help but nod in agreement. These bastards are _really_ annoying, with their electric staffs and all. "Alright you guys," he said, his voice low so that the Metal Heads won't hear him, "There might be more of them around here, so stay on your guard. The best way to get rid of them," he gave Ash a pointed look, "is from the distance."

The Trainer, after going through practice sessions with Sig, understood what the man meant. He nodded before he pulled out his Morph-Gun, shifting it to the Blaster Mod. He carefully took aim-

And shot, hitting one of them on their Skull Gem. As the others looked at their fallen comrade in shock, a few more shots went out, hitting them and killed them after a couple more shots.

Sig nodded. "Great Ash," he said, standing up and grabbed his rifle. "Now let's go you guys! We've got some Metal Heads to hunt!"

Jak grinned savagely, cocking his Morph-Gun. "Now we're getting somewhere!"

The Wastelander decided that he liked the kid already. With a grin of his own, the five of them plowed through the Pumping Station.

_Sometime later…_

"Everything is going pretty good so far," Ash commented as the three of them hopped across a few large rocks; the boy behind Sig as Jak and Daxter are behind him.

"(I know, right?)" Pikachu piped up from Ash's shoulder.

The group had taken out four of the Metal Heads Sig needed to take out: the big, quadrupedal Spyder Gunners. So far, everything was going well; and not a thing had even _touched_ Sig. Not even once.

As the group touched down onto the next part of the beach, under a bridge, they began to walk. "MAN! Did you see how that Metal Head was _owned_? _Damn_! It was on the other side of the beach on that stone cliff too!"

"Yeah," Jak nodded, in higher spirits than before. "I have to admit, that was pretty bad ass."

"Yeah," Ash drawled, looking over Jak, "When you two saw the Peach Maker being used, you looked like you wanted to use it for something when you get your hands on one." The raven haired boy had a feeling that the green/blonde is going to use it on the Baron. Or maybe the Baron's stuff. (He honestly hope it's the latter.)

"What are you talking about?" Jak tried to look innocent, "I'm not going to _use_ it on someone if that's what you're thinking." As he talked, his eyes kinda shifted a bit.

Ash sighed. _'Why do I even bother…?'_

The 'innocent time' was cut short when they were suddenly ambushed by a lot of animals and a few Juice Goons. Cursing, Sig open fired on them as Jak and Ash split off to do the same. However, a few shots after, an odd clicking sound replaced the Red Eco shots. "Huh?" He tried again, then swore violently. "Dammit! My gun's jammed!"

The two males heard it, and Ash cursed under his breath in a different language. "Hang on man!" The boy called out, "We'll defend ya!" They did just that as Sig fiddled with his gun.

'_Dammit! And I had it upgraded, too!'_ Sig growled in his head, and had to whack away the green, frog-like creatures when they got too close.

As Ash shot another, he turned to Pikachu. "Mind giving us a hand buddy?"

"(Right!)" The Pokémon nodded before jumping off of his shoulder and joined the fray.

A few minutes of them, Sig pounded the bottom of his gun onto the ground, and something clicked in place within the weapon. "Alright! The Peace Maker is back online!" He declared, punctuating the announcement with a few shots at the remaining creatures.

It wasn't long until the four of them completely obliterated their enemies. Once the area is cleared, Sig let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for saving my ass back there," he said, grinning at the boys, "That was close."

Ash just shrugged it away. "Hey, you pretty much had to save my ass a few times while I was starting out," he said, with a grin of his own. "But," he rubbed the back of his head, "you're welcome, all the same."

Sig chuckled and the group continued down the path again. They came to the end of the beach, and the man pointed at something at the cliff above them. The boys looked and saw the last Spyder Gunner Metal Head. "There's our last target," he announced. Kneeling down, he began charging up the Peach Maker. "You guys know the drill by now."

"Right," the human males nodded before they began to defend the man from the animals that came out of the water and towards him. They kicked, punched, whacked away, and shot at them, keeping them at bay from the man.

However…

"Urk!" A sudden pain sparked in Jak's head, causing him to drop his gun and clutch it as a reaction.

"Whoa! Jak you okay? ?" Daxter asked him, his friend grunting a bit in pain.

Jak didn't hear him. Instead, within himself, he felt that… other half trying to crawl its way out. It wanted to rend those creatures to pieces, it wanted to feel the others' blood on its hands, wanted to revel in it. He fought against it the best he could; he doesn't want that _thing_ to come out again! "Stay…" He growled, his voice guttural and low. Daxter flinched, and quickly got off of his friend, in case something happens. "Stay… BACK!" His voice returned to normal.

He could've sworn he heard the dark part of him snarl a bit, but he managed to retain control for a time. _'I'm not going to let it happen again…'_ He thought, panting a bit to regain himself.

"Uh… you okay, Jak?" Daxter asked, looking at him in worry.

At first, the male didn't answer, shaking his head a bit first to rid himself of the cobwebs. "Yeah, I think so." The Ottsel caught the hesitation in his voice when he said 'I'.

The two of them suddenly heard a thunderous _POP_ and automatically turned to the source. Sig had just done in the last Spider Gunner Metal Head, the man cheering as it toppled into the water. "BOOM! Home team five, Metal Heads nothin'!"

"Alright!" Ash pumped his first into the air, along with Pikachu. Slowly, Jak and Daxter walked back to them.

Just as Sig turned to them. "Tell Krew we got 'em all cooked and canned. I'm gonna clean Peace Maker and pick up the trophies." He gave Jak and Daxter a critical look, making them uncomfortable for a moment. Then he smirked and nodded. "You two did well, for a couple of youngsters."

Jak actually found himself blushing a bit. "Oh, uh… thanks," he said, rubbing the back of his head a bit.

"You two take care of each other," Sig said to the four of them, "I have a feeling that the four of you will be one unstoppable team in the future." Afterwards, the man waved them a bit before he made his way down the beach, to collect the trophies.

After he was gone, Ash stretched a bit before putting his hands behind his head. "Well, I think we did a good job today, all things considered," he said; then he lowered his arms and looked at Jak. "By the way, are you alright?"

"Huh?" The green/blonde let out, then he remembered the raven haired boy's 'abilities'. "Oh, you felt that?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded grimly. "That… other side of you is… scary."

"Scary?"

"Okay, I'm not going to lie," Ash said, "That dark part of you scares the living crap out of me; but… that doesn't mean that _you're_ just as bad as that guy." Ash crossed his arms. "There's gotta be a way to, I dunno, control it I guess…"

Then Pikachu got a _ding_ moment. "(Hey, do you think the statue can help him, Ash?)"

"Statue?" Daxter parroted, looking over the Pokémon weirdly.

It took a moment for Ash to figure out what they were saying. "Hey, yeah!" He grabbed Jak by the arm. "To the Water Slums!"

_Later, at the Water Slums…_

The four of them stood in front of a lone stone building at the Water Slums. "Here we are," Ash announced.

"…You sure that it would help?" Jak asked, looking over the building critically.

"Sure," Ash nodded before he opened the door for him. Jak and Daxter gave each other a look before they walked in. As soon as the four of them entered the room…

Daxter's eyes went wide. "Oh no…!" He groaned, "I can't believe there's _one_ of them in the city of all places!"

Ash and Pikachu gave them an odd as they came up beside them. "You already knew about the Oracle?"

"Know it?" Daxter repeated incredulously. "We met plenty of these back on our first adventure; and we had to give them _exactly_ 120 Precursor Orbs just for a Power Cell!"

"Uh…"

"_Hello again, Aura channeler," _the Oracle greeted, getting everyone's attention, _"I see that you have brought the hero with you. And I've sense a great and terrible darkness within him. In time, it will destroy him with its madness."_

The three looked at Jak in worry; the green/blonde's eyes went wide a bit at what he heard. Ash looked at the Oracle. "Is there a way for you to help him?"

"_There is,"_ the Oracle responded, _"The last power of the Precursor can save him."_

"Then… can you help him?" Daxter asked, going onto the floor to look up at the statue. "I don't think Jak can hold off Darkie any longer! And when he comes out," he shuddered a bit, "it ain't pretty man."

"… _I see." _The Oracle went silent for a while. The four of them looked at each other for a bit, then back at the Oracle.

Then, out of nowhere, a bolt of violet electricity shot out of the statue's mouth and stabbed into Jak's chest. His startled/pained cry was caught in his throat as he placed his hands over his chest, and was lifted into the air.

"Jak!" Ash exclaimed in surprise. He turned to the Oracle. "What are you doing to him? ?"

"_Be calm,"_ it told him, as the electricity pour from its mouth and into Jak, making him slowly change into his darker half, _"I am merely modifying the half infected by Dark Eco."_

As soon as it finished talking, the dark half of Jak dropped onto the ground, hunched over and growling. The three occupants stayed where they are, to try not to set him off. They don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday occur again. Yet…

The other side of Jak just… stood there for a moment. Slowly, it raised its head…

And blinked. The dark side of Jak looked around a bit before looking at its hands, wriggling its fingers, one at a time.

"_There," _the Oracle said, getting everyone's attention, _"the darkness within you is under control. However, to TRULY gain control of it, you must bring me 25 of the Metal Head Skull Gems, much like the Aura channeler at first. Both of you don't have enough for each of your lesson; return when you have enough, young channelers…"_ The Oracle's eyes dimmed before they glow no more.

Once the silence settled into the room once more, Ash, Daxter and Pikachu looked back at the other side of Jak. "Uh… you still there Jak?" Ash asked it.

Surprisingly, it… nodded. The other three stared dumbly. "Um…" Slowly, Ash walked up to Dark (they decided to nickname this being 'Dark Jak' for a bit), and… held up his hand. "So… No hard feelings?"

Dark Jak looked at his hand for a bit and reached out to grasp it-

Then the older male flinched and clutched his head, before sliding his hands to his face, covering them as Jak returned to normal. Jak moved his hands and shook his head a bit. "So, uh… you feelin' better, buddy?" Daxter asked, jumping onto Jak's shoulder.

Jak didn't answer immediately, but nodded his head. "…Yeah. A little bit, though."

Ash sighed in relief. "That's good."

"(Well, c'mon guys,)" Pikachu piped up, "(We better get back to Krew before he has a heart attack.)"

"I hope so," Daxter said, sticking out his tongue in disgust. The four of them shared a chuckle among each other.

* * *

><p>She blinked in surprise, looking towards a direction.<p>

Just now…

Just now, she felt the hearts of those two become more… connected.

She looked on, her face in awe.

And smiled.

Maybe there's hope after all…

* * *

><p><strong>South Town; 1025 hours<strong>

"Hey, I just thought of something."

The others looked over at Ash as Jak drove them (with a pilfered light double Zoomer) towards the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon. "What's that?" the green/blonde asked.

"That… other side of you," the raven haired boy began, "I don't think we've got a name for him."

"Wait," Jak looked at him incredulously, "You're going to _name_ that thing?"

"Why not?" The boy shrugged. "We can't call him a 'thing' forever; and besides, Daxter gave me an idea of what to call him."

Even Daxter gave him an incredulous look. "Really?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "How does 'Dark Jak' sound?"

The other males thought about it. "(Actually… That sounds about right,)" Pikachu said, rubbing his chin a bit.

"That sounded a bit cliché if you ask me," Jak said.

"Well, hey," Daxter piped up, "it's kinda the best we can come up with, y'know."

"True."

"Then it's settled," Ash nodded, "From now on, whenever you change into that, we'll call it Dark Jak."

Jak rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little before he continued to drive. Soon, the four of them arrived at the entrance to the saloon, taking their stuff and walked in. As soon as they did, they saw Krew floating near a portrait above the bar, seemingly looking at it.

"We're back," Ash announced, once they were near.

As soon as he did that, Krew turned to the quartet. "Ah, I see that your mission with Sig had gone well, ey?"

"Yup," the raven haired male nodded, "We've got 'em all 'cooked and canned' as he said; he stayed behind to gather the Metal Heads he took down."

The fat crime lord looked pleased by what he heard. "Excellent, excellent! The four of you have shown yourselves to be useful! Now," he floated over to the bar and picked up a large package with a small yellow card lying on top of it, and back over to them, "I have two separate jobs for you boys. Ash," he tossed the package to the helmet wearing boy, who kinda juggled it in surprise before he got a firm grip on it, "I want you to go to the Western Bazaar and deliver this to a client of mine, who runs the Fish Cannery, along with owning a small trinket stand over at the Bazaar. He goes by the name of Brutter, and you'll know it's him when you get there."

As Krew explained his task, Ash picked up the yellow card on top of the box. "When you complete it, you can keep the Yellow Security pass to get you through some checkpoints," the fat man added while the boy was looking over it.

"Huh," the boy let out, impressed. He inserted the new card into his communicator.

As he did that, Krew turned to the other duo. "As for you two, the sewers used to be a fabulous smuggling route for me…" he sneered, "before the Baron installed those damned security devices."

"And before those late night snack runs kept you from fittin' out the front door," Daxter remarked cautiously.

Jak seemed unwilling to just get down to business, considering the frown he just made. "Yeah, I bet you've hatched another _brilliant_," he spoke, his voice sarcastic as he tapped his temple a bit, "plan in that hungry little brain of yours." He pretty much looked bored as he added, "So, who or what do we need to shake down, knock out, or blow up?"

The Pokéduo blinked a bit, gave each other a look for a bit before looking back at the spectacle.

Meanwhile, Krew didn't look fazed by the ridicule. "Well…" he said in a playful manner, "I need _someone_ to go down there and shoot every sentry gun in the sewers. And I'll give you a sweet weapon upgrade if you succeed."

"Let me guess…" Daxter said with a sigh, rolling his eyes. "Dank, murky water?"

Krew nodded.

"Reeks worse than your breath at an oyster fest?" The Ottsel continued.

The crime lord visibly caught onto where Daxter was going with this, as Ash and Pikachu had their eyes widened; the former in shock, and the latter in amazement.

"Full o' Metal Heads than your plate at a one-pass buffet?" Daxter ranted, his tone growing more and more irate. "And of course, weapons more lethal than your _ever-so-tighty-whiteys_," the Ottsel took hold of Krew's pants and shook them a bit before letting go," on a hot summer day! ?"

"(Woo! Go Daxter!)" Pikachu silently cheered. Krew was glaring at Daxter with unmitigated fury at this point.

"_Look_, donut hole," Daxter said, crossing his arms rather snottily, "why don't _we _float around here looking hot and heavy, and _you_ go roto-root the pipes! ?"

"We're not doing anything until you tell us why the Metal Heads are trading with the Baron's forces!" Jak added, crossing his own arms as well.

Ash was about to say something until Krew suddenly got close to Jak's face. "I should've had you two knee-capped, eh!" He shouted at them, making Jak (and the others at a certain degree) flinch a little. "All I know is that the Baron cut a desperate deal with the Metal Head leader."

The raven haired boy blinked. "What deal?" He asked, honestly curious as the horribly ugly man backed up and turned from them.

"The Metal Heads need Eco," the crime lord explained, "so the Baron supplies them with regular shipments." He turned back to them, adding, "In return, the Metal Heads agreed to attack the city _just enough_ to satisfy the Baron's continued rule."

'_THAT'S the reason why the guards are doing this? ?'_ Ash thought incredulously, _'To keep the people here under his control? ! ?'_

It seemed the others looked disgusted by this. "Yeah," Jak rolled his eyes, "but how long can _that_ deal last?"

Krew thought about it for a moment. "Well, the Baron is running short on Eco, eh. And the Metal Heads are short on patience! Baron Praxis _needs_ this war to keep in power. Otherwise, the city would put the true ruler on the throne… wherever that little _brat_ is." He clenched his hand a bit when he muttered the last bit.

The four of them gave each other a glance. Who is he talking about?

Jak turned back to the crime lord. "Alright, the two of us will clear your sewers," he said, "_And_ we haven't forgotten about that weapons upgrade you promised in return."

For the first time since Ash was working with Krew, he never thought he'd see _anyone_ that angry (and ugly to boot). "**Bloodsuckers.**"

"O…kay," Ash muttered, quite disturbed; moments after Krew left to vent his anger. "The two of us are going to go ahead and go. Bye!" He quickly grabbed his Pokémon and quickly ran out of there as fast as he could.

After watching them go, Jak turned to his friend. "C'mon Dax."

"Oh _great…_" The Ottsel muttered before he and his human friend also left.

* * *

><p><em>A bit later, with Ash and Pikachu…<em>

It took a while for Ash to find a light single Zoomer. At first, he was considering taking a heavy single Zoomer or a light double Zoomer; but he doesn't trust himself enough to drive something equivalent to a car. So after driving the Zoomer through the far left (or right depending on your point of view) side of the Port, the duo went through what the map called the 'Gardens' (southern part). The two of them looked around this new area, spotting a lot of fountains, continuously spouting water onto the fruits and vegetables to keep them hydrated and to ensure that they'll grow; and also some of the livestock that reminded them of Miltank and Tauros (or the combination of the two).

"(Those must be the 'Yakkows' some of the people in the Underground are talking about,)" Pikachu remarked, after looking at the strange creatures.

"I guess this place is where they do their farming," Ash noted, looking back to the road.

After a few turns, they ended up in the west side of the Bazaar; the difference between the two Bazaars is that the eastern part has more neon and a high platform where the Zoomers fly over (the two of them saw that as they followed Ciel a month and a half ago). The western side of the Bazaar has a lot more room than the eastern side.

Through some more twist and turns (not to mention that the two of them had ended up at dead ends and need to backtrack) they finally reached their destination, indicated by the icon of an orange fish of sorts. Ash parked the Zoomer and took the package, walking over to a small round bar with a small cone shaped canopy over it; a couple of trinkets hung from the 'roof'. The two of them didn't see anybody at first, to their confusion. "Uh… Hello?" The boy asked, as the two got near. "Krew asked us to bring this to a person named 'Brutter'?"

"Hmm?" They suddenly heard, and something… _large_ rose from behind the counter. It turned around, revealing… a large beast-like thing with very light purple muzzle, fingers and toes (each with black claws), the rest of it is covered in plum purple fur, orange eyes with very small pupils, and a curled hair-like fur on top of its head; yet what makes it strange is that it had a pair of glasses in front of its eyes, a blackish-blue formal top with orange animal fur around its neck, with a white shirt under it, a white cloth wrapped around its pelvis (somewhat resembling a diaper/underwear) and, from what they could see, straps of the same color as the top over its feet. A pair of blue feathers are in its 'hair' giving an impression of the ears everyone else has. "Oh, you both know Krew?"

The two from Pokéarth blinked a bit, looking at each other before at the creature. "Uh… yeah," the boy confirmed, "Are you… 'Brutter'?"

"Yes, I Brutter," the creature confirmed, nodding, "You bring package from Krew?"

Pikachu couldn't help but cringe a bit from Brutter's horrible grammer. "Uh, yeah," Ash nodded, before handing it over to Brutter, "Here you go."

"Oh, Brutter thank you," the creature said, taking the package with his large hands. Brutter then looked over both Ash and Pikachu. "Hm. Brutter don't saw you before. Who you?"

"I'm Ash," the boy introduced himself, then jabbed his thumb at his Pokémon, "And that's Pikachu. We're… more or less Krew's errand boys."

"Brutter is pleased meeting Ash and Pikachu," the creature suddenly shook Ash's hand, nearly making the boy dizzy from the strength.

Once it was over, Ash swayed a bit before he hand to lean against the bar for support. "Woah…" He slurred out, his eyes spinning. Shaking his head lightly, the boy looked at Brutter. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you Brutter?"

Brutter blinked a bit, before looking around a bit, as if cautious before lowering himself a bit, prompting Ash to do the same. "Brutter is Lurker," he said, his voice low, "Brutter has to put disguise on, to avoid slave trade."

Ash did a take at that. "So your people are slaves?"

"Yes, sad truth," the Lurker cried toon tears, trying to cover his eyes with his large forearm, "Lurker folk once bad back then, used by bad sages. Since red people formed, Lurker people were taken, used as slaves!"

"(Wow…)" Pikachu let out, feeling sorry for the poor thing, "(I'm sorry that they had to go through that…)"

"Was hard for Brutter first," the Lurker continued, even though he couldn't understand Pikachu, "But Brutter managed good company, running Fish Cannery. Fish Cannery was infected by Metal Bugs, though; Brutter call Metal Bug exterminator."

Ash looked over the trinket stand. "You're doing pretty well for yourself, Brutter."

"Brutter thank you again," the Lurker suddenly shook Ash's hand again, making him dizzy once more.

"Don't mention it…" the boy slurred, before falling over to the ground.

"(Ash!)" The Pokémon exclaimed, as both he and Brutter looking over the boy in worry.

"Sorry," the Lurker sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, looking sorry.

As the boy lay there, dizzy, he wondered what Jak and Daxter were doing at the moment.

**The sewers; 1115 hours**

"This freakin' _sucks_!" Daxter complained, his tone a bit high pitched and nasally for he had plugged his nose, as the two of them trudged on through the sewers, over the walkway grates.

Jak couldn't help but agree with him, plugging his nose as well. This place _reeks_! It smells as bad as what the food the KG in the prison feeds him tastes like! When they first came in, he nearly lost what remained in his stomach.

Yet the two of them pressed on through the sewers, taking down three of the turrets. …Why the Baron installed them down here, he'll never know (nor does he care).

Like before, he stepped on the switch, turning the lights in the small hallway. He saw the three Metal Heads Grunts in the hallway, seeing them by their skull gems. He quickly took out his Morph-Gun, ready for a fight-

Until the lights suddenly went out, putting them in darkness. Crap. However, he still saw the glow from the Metal Heads' Skull Gems and just point and shot. The red glow from the Red Eco within the gun lit up the hallway as he shot at the Grunts. The three of them were soon dead, their Skull Gems lying around as prove of that.

The green/blonde sighed, before putting the gun away. He picked up the Skull Gems and continued on their way. It wasn't long until he heard the tall tale sound of the turret firing at anything that looked threatening. "That's our cue," Daxter said, pointing at where the sound came from.

Jak nodded and pulled out his Morph-Gun once more. He pressed himself against the wall and took a peek from behind the corner. He briefly saw the last turret on the end of three disconnected platforms before he had to move back behind the wall when red cannon blasts grazed the spot his head was at moments ago. What the hell are with these things? ? Do they shot at anything that moves? ! Letting out an aggravated growl, he clenched his weapon tightly before he leaped out into the open – with Daxter screaming out in panic (as usual).

The turret tried to blast its target, but Jak is far more agile than he appears – weaving in and around the blasts, like an acrobat. He got close to the turret and blasted it to oblivion. Soon, it exploded in nothing but shrapnel. "Yeeeaahh!" Daxter exclaimed, doing a little boogie after jumping off of Jak's shoulder. "Eat your heart out Baron-guy!"

Jak somewhat chuckled a bit nervously at what the Ottsel is doing. Then his communicator beeped. He pulled it out and pressed the button to let the call through. _"Nice work boys,"_ Krew's raspy voice spoke up through the other end, _"That's all four of them, ey? Come on back to the Hip Hog, you two."_

"Ohhh…! Talk about your dirty work!" Daxter commented after holding back whatever word he was going to say. "And I _really_ wanted to say something bad about that slime-ball!"

Okay, he can agree with that one. Still, hard to believe that Ash worked with this guy…

The two of them followed the remaining hallways, before they found themselves at the balcony overlooking the intersection… the intersection that leads to the entrance to the sewers. "Hey cool! We're back where we started! I can't wait until- AAH!"

Daxter screamed when two Metal Heads dropped down from the ceiling, landing in front of them; the Ottsel trying to scurry away to save his furry ass. However, Jak quickly pulled out his Morph-Gun once more and fired a single Scatter Gun blast, shoving both Metal Heads off and into the water below. One thing he had learned about the Metal Heads: they're not very good swimmers. So it wasn't long until they saw a couple of Metal Head Skull Gems popping out of their heads and onto the balcony.

The Ottsel peeked out from where he was hiding, which was behind Jak's legs, and sighed in relief. He noticed the look Jak was giving him (a _very_ smug smirk) and glared. "Hey, I could've taken them on my own if I wasn't two feet tall and pant-less!" Then he paused for a moment and made a thoughtful look. "Speaking of which, why the _hell_ didn't I find some pants for me while I was searchin' for ya?"

The green/blonde rolled his eyes. He's _still_ going on about that? Why couldn't he get over that accident? "Let's just go Dax," Jak said, leading the way to the entrance.

_A bit later at the Hip Hog…_

After a quick walk out into the Industrial Zone of the city (and taking in some sweet, _sweet_ fresh air), and stealing a single-seated Zoomer, it wasn't long before the duo of Jak and Daxter are back in front of the Hip Hog Heaven saloon. When they entered, Krew was already inside waiting for them.

The absurdly fat crime lord floated near the bar, fanning himself. When the duo approached, he took a sniff and said, "What _is_ that horrible smell?" He took a couple more sniffs.

"Oh _great_!" Daxter shouted, hopping onto one of the four poles in around the makeshift arena. "We do your 'dirty work' in the Sewers and we all come back smelling worse than a wet Hip Hog in a warm barn!"

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, though, he took a sniff of himself and nearly fell over at how bad he smells. Leaning in towards Jak, he muttered, "This could have a serious impact on the lady factor."

Jak, holding back a chuckle, couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend.

"Nooo…" The two of them looked at Krew, who let out a disgusting little belch after one second. "I think it was my lunch, actually."

The two of them made an 'eww' look at that.

"Anyway, nice work in the sewers, eh?" The extremely fat guy said, turning away from them. "I guess you're looking for that weapon upgrade, hmmm. Well, there's Blaster Mod stashed in some crates at the Port." He turned to them, adding, "Find it, and it's all yours…" He let out a rather sinister chuckle before he floated up into some unknown compartment above the saloon.

The two of them stood there for a moment. "Oookay… Don't you find that a bit unnerving?" Daxter asked.

Jak silently nodded.

Then something stuck Daxter. "WAIT A MINUTE! How in the hell are we supposed to find that thing in the port? ?"

The green/blonde tapped his chin a little. Then he perked up. "I think I have an idea of where it is."

Daxter looked at his friend. "Really?"

Jak nodded.

_A few minutes later…_

"… How the hell did you guess that it was here in the Gun Course?" The Ottsel asked, looking incredulous.

Jak shrugged, though he had a smirk on his face. "Lucky guess?"

Daxter let out an un-amused grunt.

The two of them walked into the Gun Course, seeing a lone Krimzon Guard crate in the middle of the room (which seemed odd to the duo at first). As soon as Jak smashed it open, the mod similar to what Ash had lied there, as if waiting for the young man to pick it up.

Jak picked up the Blaster mod and attached the barrel to the end of his Morph-Gun. In front of their eyes, the gun shifted and changed into the weapon they had saw the raven haired boy use earlier.

"Cool…" The Ottsel marveled as he and Jak looked over the weapon, impressed. Smirking, Jak twirled the gun and stared down the sight towards a wall, the gun locking and loading into place with a satisfying _click_.

After looking down at the laser sight, Jak and Daxter looked at each other, grinning evilly as the Ottsel rubbed his hands together with glee. "That Baron guy better watch out now!" Daxter said, "'Cause we'll be shooting this thing right up his-"

Jak's communicator beeped before the Ottsel could finish. Letting out a grunt in surprise, Jak dug into his pocket and pulled it out, pressing the button to let the call through.

"_WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? !" _Torn's voice shouted through it before Jak could say anything. _"YOU AND THAT SQUIRRAL GET YOUR ASSES BACK HERE ON THE DOUBLE! NOW! !"_ Then the call was dropped.

The duo looked at each other in confusion. What was that about?

The communicator beeped again. Jak pressed the button again. "Hello?"

"_Jak, did you get a call from Torn just now?"_ Ash's voice spoke through this time.

"Uh, yeah," the young man said, "What the hell was that about?"

"_I dunno, but I think we should get over there pronto. I'm having a bad feeling that something might've happened. And I haven't heard from Ciel at all yet."_

"You mean that crazy-ass girl?" Daxter asked.

"_Hey, she's not crazy!" _Ash protested. _"…Most of the time. Ahh, anyway, I'll meet you guys back at the HQ!"_ Then the call dropped again.

"Oh great, this should be good," Daxter said in sarcasm.

"Save it Dax," the green/blonde said, before the duo left the place.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

"ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER? !" Daxter shouted off-screen.

* * *

><p><strong>No Omake or Hidden Scenes<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I'm glad I'm able to finish this before I leave Florida… Yeah, I spent my Thanksgiving with my grandparents.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** As soon as the quartet returned, Torn gave them bad news: One of their top informants is in big trouble. Worse, Ciel hadn't checked in at all yet. So they had to go to the Strip Mine to save not only the informant but Ciel as well. After that, the group go out to 'scramble' some eggs. ****You'll see how that'll go in the next chapter of:** _Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: The 'Bad day, bad day, bad day' parts you usually see in the last couple of chapters… I got that off from a picture I saw in deviantart. I figured I should get something Ciel should do while the boys are off on their own missions; along with Ash and Pikachu on their own separate mission. …And you'll see who that person is, soon enough…)**

**Leave a review please!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Ugh… college is so STRESSFUL! Now I know how most of my favorite authors feel…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, then why would I make a fanfiction of it?**

_**Japanese language will be like this: **_"[Blah.]"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Some rescuing and 'scrambling' some eggs.<strong>

The sound of someone screaming their lungs out can be heard, once again, as the Ottsel held on for dear life while his friend was driving the Zoomer at the speed no-one thought possible. The green/blonde weaved through the crowd, almost hit some of the other Zoomers and into buildings, and even switched hover zones in his haste to get back to the Underground HQ.

Earlier, Jak had stolen a light-single Zoomer (since everyone else has a weird habit of taking abandoned Zoomers) and, literally, had to drive bad out of hell to get to the HQ. And Daxter is _not_ enjoying the ride. Especially since Jak is damn near driving at 80 miles an hour.

"WOO-HOO! !" Jak cheered, pumping his fist a bit, as he felt the adrenaline at driving this fast.

"I'M GOING TO _DIE_! ! !" Daxter screamed, feeling his legs flying back from going so fast. Oh, and did I mention that his eyes are now dizzy swirls?

After a few minutes of driving around like a maniac, the duo of Jak and Daxter are now in front of the base. Jak hopped off of the Zoomer, chuckling a bit (and swaying a little) as the adrenaline started to wear off. The Ottsel, however, fell off of his shoulder with a groan and onto the ground, dizzy. Jak pulled up his goggles, picked up Daxter and entered the building, via the secret sliding door.

As they entered the main room, they saw Torn pacing in front of the table… and looking incredibly pissed off. The duo got near the older man, who suddenly looked at them with his permanent scowl. "Where the hell is Ketchum and his rat?"

"Hey, Tattooed Wonder," Daxter looked annoyed as he climbed over Jak's shoulder and stood straight up, "We just got here and already you're asking us something we don't know?"

Torn scowled, annoyed, before he looked over something on the table.

Jak decided to take this moment to change the subject. Thinking over his words carefully, he reported, "We got the information out of Krew today." He wasn't sure if Torn was listening, but he continued anyway, "Remember what we reported earlier? It turns out that the Baron struck a deal with the Metal Heads."

The auburn haired man flinched, as if he was just slapped really hard on the face. He turned to the duo with a shocked expression. "Praxis struck a deal with the Metal Heads? ?"

Jak nodded grimly. "The Baron agreed to give the Metal Heads a certain amount of Eco; and in return, the Metal Heads agreed to attack the city just enough for him to continue ruling."

"A plan that's doomed to fail, by the way," Daxter added in. "And it probably won't be epic either. The failing part, that is."

Torn just shook his head before palming his face. "Great. Just great."

Jak and, surprisingly, Daxter wisely decided to not say anything. Even the Ottsel - somehow - could tell that this is some serious stuff.

A few minutes passed in silence. Soon, the door to the HQ opened again, and when the three turned to the source, they saw the duo from the Pokémon world running in. "Sorry we're late!" Ash exclaimed, "We had to go through the Bazaar and the central part of the city to get here."

Torn just grunted. "(Huh? No sarcastic comments?)" Pikachu asked, tilting his head a bit.

It didn't seem like the man didn't hear the Pokémon, but he went straight to business. "I've got bad news, you guys," he started, looking each of them, "One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the Metal Heads."

"Wait, what?" Ash was the first to let out as the four of them blinked in surprise.

"Why the hell are you telling us this?" Jak asked, narrowing his eyes, "What goes on with the Baron is not _our_ problem."

Suddenly Torn bashed the table, and the four jumped a bit in surprise (Daxter even fell off of Jak's shoulder). "It **is** our problem when the **foreman **is one of the Underground's best **informants**!" He snapped, stressing out three certain words.

"(Dang,)" Pikachu muttered. "(Well that changes everything.)"

Torn sighed a bit, composing himself. "The foreman's name is Vin, and he's just as valuable enough to save," he explained, "If the Underground loses him, we have no idea what the Baron would be up to."

"And…" Daxter, after he picked himself up, started off slowly, "you wanted us to go and save this guy, right?" The auburn man nodded. The Ottsel sighed. "That's what I thought."

Ash was silent for the most part. But after Daxter's comment, he stepped forward. "Hey Torn?" When all eyes turned to him, he continued, "Did… did you hear anything from Ciel at all?"

Torn sighed; he hated doing this. "Actually… I sent the girl to save Vin sometime after you guys left to destroy the ammo dump. However, I haven't heard a word from her since then. Either she found herself trapped in a room by the Metal Heads… or worse."

The duo from the Pokémon world gulped. They didn't want to know the worst case scenario.

Jak had been watching the two at the corner of his eye, seeing their reaction. Then he returned his attention to the ex-KG Commander. "Alright, we'll go and save not only Vin but Ciel as well."

"Say WHAT!"

"C'mon Dax," the green/blonde said, looking over his friend, "we should at least head over there and bust some Metal Head skulls. And besides, we owe her for saving our asses last night, remember?"

The Ottsel scowled a bit, looking away a bit while crossing his arms and tapping his foot a little. A moment went by as the other three stared at Daxter as he gave them the cold shoulder… until he slowly looked over his shoulder, trying to look stoic. Then he heaved a great sigh, slumping over in defeat. "Okay fine," he said, straightening himself up, "let's all head over there to save the crazy girl and that dude. But," he jumped onto the table and jabbed a finger at his friend, "if we get killed out there, I'll never forgive you!"

Jak made a small smile. "Thanks Dax."

"Yeah," Ash nodded, smiling. "Thank you Daxter."

"Don't go thanking me just yet," the Ottsel said, "you can do that later."

It was at the moment that Torn cleared his throat, getting the quartet's attention once more. "If you four are finished, to get to where those two are you need to head over to the Power Station in the Industrial District. Once you get there, find a Warp Gate that should get you to the Strip Mine."

"I have one more question before we do anything," Daxter piped up, raising his hand. He straightened up and glared at the auburn haired man. "How come **we** get all the crappy missions since we've only been here for a day? !"

Torn looked over the Ottsel. "Wanna know why?" At Daxter's nod, he suddenly got too close to his face. "It's because I. Don't. Like. _You_!" He paused for emphasis on each sentence, getting closer to Daxter (and making the Ottsel balance precariously at the edge of the table) and when he said the last part, he slightly pushed the unbalanced Ottsel off the table, where he landed on the ground.

The other three looked down at the Ottsel, just as he said, "Fair enough."

After watching Jak pick up his friend, Ash turned to Torn, his eyes filled with determination. "We'll be back soon."

The four left the HQ, to save their comrade. But as the door closed behind them, Torn sighed.

'_Now I'm sure the Praxis that I once knew is gone,'_ he thought, looking grim, _'Praxis would never strike a deal with the Metal Heads, even if it is to save the city.' _He glanced over at the little kid sleeping against the crocadog, with the otter creature sleeping against him. _'Without Eco, the Baron won't be able to rule… or rule a devastated city. We have to hurry to bring the kid back to the throne, or we won't be able to save the city at all…'_

Again, Torn sighed. Things are never easy in life…

**Industrial District; 1305 hours**

After Ash hotwired a heavy-double Zoomer, the quartet rode in silence as they made their way to the Power Station. Once again, no one has anything to say on the matter. The four of them knew that this is serious.

The four of them kept an eye out for where the Power Station might be, as indicated by a lightning bolt shaped icon on the map. They soon came upon a side road in the lower parts of the Industrial District, a small ramp going up that leads to the raised walkway above them. The green/blonde parked under the ramp and the two males jumped out of it, their partners jumping onto their shoulders as they made their way up. As they did, they looked around the new area for a bit, until Ash spotted a small cylinder-shaped building with mechanical doors.

The raven haired boy blinked a bit before he checked the GPS. Yup, this is the right place. "Here we are guys," he announced, pocketing his communicator. "We're at the Power Station. Let's hope that Ciel and Vin are- Hey what's up?" He asked when he looked back at the duo as they just… stopped.

Jak blinked his deep cobalt eyes a bit before he looked around a bit, the Ottsel looking at his friend in confusion. "Dax… isn't this where we first landed? You know, when we went through that Rift Gate two years ago?"

The Ottsel blinked and looked around himself. "You know… I think you're right."

The duo from the Pokémon world blinked then looked at each other for a bit. Then they shrugged before the four of them entered the building.

"Woah/Wow…" They all let out as they looked over the room. It was brightly lit, due to the glowing monitors, flashing buttons and open power currents throughout the spacious room. And the four of them had no idea on what does what; these things aren't like the computers back at Ash's world.

The raven haired boy took off his helmet to scratch his head. "Any idea on how we can get to the Strip Mine?"

Behind him, he heard Jak taking a few steps forward and turned to him, seeing the older male rubbing his chin as he looked over the screen. He walked over to the older male as Jak looked over the screen. More specifically, the Precursor writing that was on the screen. "Hm…" he muttered, "I think Ciel might've punched in the coordinates to the Strip Mines when she got here."

"Really?" The boy asked, looking at the screen then back at Jak, "How can you tell?"

"…You've been here for a month and a half and you couldn't understand Precursor language?" Jak gave the raven haired boy an incredulous look again.

"H-Hey!" The boy held up his hands, "I only know some of it! The only words I got from that are 'transfer' and 'Mine'. The others are completely lost to me!"

Jak palmed his face, once more exasperated. "Well, c'mon," he said, "Ciel had already made a route for us, so we better head over there." He gestured over to the large, ring like contraption that was on top of a metal, thick stand that was placed on the platform that was connected to the narrow pathway.

As the four approached it, Ash looked over the machine with wide eyes. What in the world is this thing? It… It kinda resembled the portal he once saw when he first encountered Giratina and Shaymin back in Sinnoh (and the one that took the two of them to Haven). He had no idea what the thing could do to him and Pikachu.

As Jak walked up to it, he said, "Hey, uh… Can I ask you something?" Jak let out a 'Hm?' as he looked back at the boy. "Is…" The trainer pointed at the portal, "Is this going to hurt?"

The green/blonde blinked. "Oh, not really," he said, moving his hand to calm him. "It's not painful at all."

"Really?" The duo from the Pokémon world blinked, surprised. "How'd you know?"

"Believe it or not, newbies," Daxter piped up, standing straight on Jak's shoulder armor, "but the two of us had been through a couple of these before!"

"(Really?)" Pikachu said, his brow raise up a bit; as if impressed.

"Oh yeah!" The Ottsel stood up with his chest puffed out, looking proud.

"Okay," Ash also had a raised brow as he looked over the other duo, "then how _does_ it feel?"

Jak seemed at a loss of words for a moment, scratching the back of his head a bit. "Well, it's… let's just say _interesting_."

Ash blinked in confusion. But before he could ask what the older male meant, he suddenly turned and jumped through the portal. "Hey-!" The boy let out but was too late. The Trainer and Pokémon gave each other nervous glances before they looked back at the Warp Gate, gulping. The boy sighed, clasped his hands and made a silent prayer.

He took a deep breath and took a couple of steps back, wiggling his limbs in preparation for what he's about to encounter. Then he took a running jog and dived into it.

The world around him is nothing but a blue tunnel with hints of purple, and sparks of electricity around. He wasn't sure how much time had gone; seconds? Minutes? Hours? It might even be days or weeks or months or possibly a year. He wasn't able to feel what's going on around him, nor could he hear, smell or taste what it is.

However, in reality, it only lasted for a moment before the world came back into focus and he found himself crashing onto Jak's back. The four of them tumbled on the ground for a bit before they ended up in a heap near a cliff. The four of them groaned in pain, the Pokémon and Ottsel sandwiched between the two males. All of a sudden, three of them heard a "Pi-kaaa!" and what seems like a sound of crackling electricity.

Horror filled Ash's veins as he realized what was about to happen (along with the ends of his hair rising up a bit). "Wait Pikachu don't-!" He tried to scramble off of Jak to get off of the Electric type.

* * *

><p><em>Sometime before…<em>

A slight moan left her throat as she's slowly becoming aware of the world around her. Through her sense of hearing, she heard the beeping of some electronics and a current of electricity among them. Through her sense of smell, she smelt… sweat; although she wasn't sure whose sweat it was. Through her sense of taste, she faintly tasted the bitterness of a medicine of sorts in her mouth. Through her sense of touch, she felt something… cold underneath her. And hard.

Finally, Ciel slowly opened her emerald green eyes to use her fifth and final sense – sight. She had to force her eyes shut with a groan when they were hit with a sudden brightness of the room. After a few seconds, she slowly opened them once more, blinking constantly to get them adjusted. It started off blurry at first, but slowly, slowly, her vision started to clear. When her eyes are fully open, the pink/red haired girl noticed that she was within a small computer room.

The girl was confused for a moment, her mind a bit hazy. Where was she? How did she end up in here-?

Suddenly, she remembered. "The Metal Heads!" She exclaimed, pushing herself up-

Only to groan and fall over as her muscles cramped up; she lay on the ground, muttering curses she heard from a few Wastelanders – though, mostly from Kleiver. As she did, she mentally grumbled, _'Oh yeah, I'm still alive. In pain, but alive.'_

Yet, who was it that rescued her?

Her answer came in the form of hearing a right high-pitched male voice, "Hey, a-are you okay?"

The female Wastelander let out a confused grunt, before a pale face with goggles over their eyes entered her vision. "AH!" She screamed, smacking the thing away.

"OW! That hurt!" Only that the 'thing' she slapped is actually a short man with white hair, who was rubbing his cheek tenderly at the spot where the girl had slapped him.

"Oh… uh, sorry about that," she said, feeling a bit guilty hurting an old person, "It's a reflex."

"W-Well, frankly, I-I-I don't blame you," he said, rubbing his cheek a bit more before he stood up, his knees shaking a bit as he went over to a small table near one of the computers. "W-With the Metal Heads out there, they could unexpectedly came crashing in and maul you! O-o-or worse! !"

Ciel rather not hear or imagine the worst possible thing a Metal Head could do to a person; she had heard enough horror stories from some of the Wastelanders. After clenching her muscles a few times for her muscles to stretch, she slowly, slowly pushed herself up from the ground. Once she was sitting up, she patted parts of her body to see if everything is still attached. She sighed in relief when she felt parts of her body, though she mostly felt bandages around her head.

"Oh, uh, a-a Metal Head got you by surprise," the old man explained, looking over his shoulder at the female. "I had to get you in here to fix you up ma'am."

She merely grunted. Her head throbbed a bit, though it didn't hurt as much like a concussion. But still, doesn't hurt to be _too_ careful. She looked at the short man with a stern look. "You don't have to call me 'ma'am' dude. Name's Ciel." She looked over the short man again as he seemed to be… tinkering with something in front of him. "…And you must be… 'Vin' right?"

The man jumped again. "Uh, y-yes," he stuttered, clearly surprised, "How did you know my name?"

Okay, at least the dude is alive; that's a start. "Torn sent me here save you," she answered.

"_WHAT!_" He exclaimed, clearly distressed. "Just you? One girl? ?" He slumped to the floor, defeated. "Oooh… what do they think I'm worth…?"

Ciel rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself," she muttered under her breath. She looked over at the thing that was on the table.

And saw her communicator… only that it seemed to be broken into pieces. Parts of it are still whole, yet, on a closer look, she noticed that those parts were patched together through expert use.

"Those bastards!" She exclaimed, "I can't believe they broke my communicator! !"

"A-Actually, it fell out of your pocket and it broke when a Metal Head stepped on it," Vin corrected, his arm raised and his finger pointing in the air.

Ciel made an irritated look before she curse under her breath. Great. Add that to the list of bad luck that happened to her since she left Spargus…

"And I'm guessing that the Metal Heads are still out there, right?"

"T-That's right," Vin nodded as he pushed himself up. "I-I'm not sure if the Underground had sent back-up or not, so, we're stuck here until then."

"Figures," the girl muttered.

Add to the fact that she had been out for who-knows-how-long, there's no telling who'll come here…or are they going to be saved at all? She wanted to go out and stretch her legs – the beeping from the machines and the small room made her a bit claustrophobic – but with the possibility of the Metal Heads out there, along with her head injury, she didn't think she could last long out there-

"_**GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAH! ! !**_" Both their heads turned towards the door.

"W-What was that?" Vin asked, shaking uncontrollably once again.

"I…don't know," she responded, not sure herself. "I think a couple of people got shocked or something…"

* * *

><p><em>Now…<em>

Jak groaned a bit, his legs wobbly as he walked a bit before he leaned against the metal support to the metal bridge. Parts of his clothes, along with his skin, looked a bit burnt as bits of smoke rose off of him.

Oh, and did I mention that his green/blonde hair became completely spikey?

Now he knew what it felt like to be shocked by Pikachu. Even though he knew it was a complete and total accident at that.

"(I _said_ I'm sorry, okay! ?)" Pikachu exclaimed as Daxter (who more or less looked like an orange and yellow porcupine) tried to smooth out his fur with a comb. It isn't working so well. "(It was a reaction, alright? !)"

Behind them, Ash sighed a bit. He had taken his helmet off, his hair slightly spikey due to getting used to being shocked by Pikachu, so that he could scratch his head. He should've been quick enough to get off of Pikachu…though, what's done is done, he guessed.

'_Though, I don't think I'll ever get used to that… weird feeling through that Warp Gate…'_ He thought to himself. He had teleported before, thanks to some of the psychics (both human _and_ Pokémon) he had met in his life…though, artificial ones felt more… well, _strange_ is the best word he could describe his experience…

He didn't think he could get used to it.

An irritated groan from Daxter got both males to look at the Ottsel, who then threw the comb to the ground in frustration. "Okay, that's it! Today has been one of my worst days so far!" He ranted, "I got chased around and shot at by two psychotic tanks, saw a certain thing that'll mentally scar me for the rest of my life-"

"(And me too,)" Pikachu piped in with a bored look.

"- went on an _insane_ ride with a certain maniac two times," at that, Jak frowned a little, "went to the sewers that makes me want to take a bath maybe twelve times, and now, I've just experienced being shocked by ten _thousand_ volts of electricity into my system, and it'll take me _hours_ to _smooth out my fur! !_"

The Ottsel's furious scream echoed around the mine as the said being panted. Once Daxter calmed down, Pikachu looked over him. "(You gonna be okay?)"

"Yeah, well, it could be worse, right?" Daxter shrugged a bit (as Ash placed his helmet back on).

At that moment, they heard scurrying in the ground along with guttural roars. They turned to the source of the roars to see a few Metal Head Grunts coming at them. Along with… what looked like Skorupi though with Skull Gems popping out of the ground.

"Okay… those are new," Ash stated, as they stared at the new creatures. Then came the Metal Heads that looked a little like Beedrill, hissing with their stingers glowing purple.

"AND SO IS THAT!" Daxter screamed as the boys whipped out their guns as Pikachu charged his cheeks.

The three of them spent the next few minutes shooting at/shocking the enemies that came at them (the Skorupi-like Metal Heads are easier to kill; though, they made up for it with numbers…); Daxter had to throw random stuff at the flying Metal Heads (from a few rocks, to a frying pan, a golf putter, a tennis racket, a random Gulpin, a rubber ducky, a random fish, a random Shy Guy (Shy Guy: "What the-?"), a light saber, a flute, a harp, an ocarina, a manga, a Chaos Emerald (green), a Dragon Ball (four star), a random anvil, a random Big Body Heartless and a random Snorlax [where he got them, and how he could throw the last three and the Shy Guy is a complete, and utter mystery…]), some of them hitting their mark.

As soon as the area is cleared that they began to plow through the Strip Mine to find Vin and Ciel, taking out any Metal Heads that were unfortunate to get in their way (while taking some Skull Gems along the way). As they did, Jak and Ash took notice of the massive Dark Eco pools around the mines, shocking both males at the amount of it. The four rode on the moving carts filled with sand, dirt, rocks, and/or gravels, as they moved slowly to where they suspect Vin and Ciel are at.

…and unleashing _more_ hell on the Metal Heads in their way.

They finally made it to the metal platform. Ash looked around in case there are some Metal Heads that are left over, even using **Aura Sense **to find some. There isn't, so the four of them relaxed after the raven haired boy announced his findings. They slowly approached the metal door with a large red button next to it.

The green/blonde looked over the door warily. It could be possible that Vin and Ciel are behind this very door. But what kind of person is he? He's one of the Baron's forces. Is this guy ruthless, like the guards? He hated to think about that; and about Ciel being in there with a guy like him.

"Okay guys," he said, "we have no idea what this 'Vin' guy is like, so it'll probably best not to-"

"Hello, are you in there Vin?" Ash knocked onto the metal door, "We're here to save you and Ciel!" Behind him, Jak, Daxter and Pikachu comically collapse onto the ground (their legs are the only thing seen 'on-screen').

The four of them heard some shuffling around behind the door. They gave each other a look before back at it. Ash knocked on it again. "Hello?"

"Go away!" They heard a rather high-pitched voice exclaimed, "Err, no, wait- uh, quack!"

The four gave each other odd looks. "'Quack'? Does this guy think he's a duck or something?" Daxter asked.

Jak looked around for a bit, suddenly feeling a strange alarm go off.

They looked back at the door. "Look, man, we heard you," Daxter said, "So could you relax and let us safe your asses?"

"How do we know you guys aren't Metal Heads?" The voice said behind the door. That made them pause; that's a very good question.

"Err… okay, how do we prove that we aren't Metal Heads?" Ash asked.

The voice went silent. "Well… frankly, do something that Metal Heads aren't able to do."

Another pause. Then the four got into a huddle. "How the heck can we do that?" Ash questioned.

"Well… it has to be something Metal Heads couldn't do, right?" Daxter said, tapping his foot a bit.

"(Metal Heads couldn't talk,)" Pikachu pointed out, "(That could work.)"

"…Actually," Daxter said, crossing his arms, "I don't think so." As the others let out 'Huh?', he turned to Jak. "Hey Jak, you remember big and gruesome from the gate-thingy two years ago?"

The green/blonde blinked a bit, then did a take. "Yeah!" He put on a thoughtful look. "And… since that thing has a yellow gem on its head… I think we can deduce that Metal Heads might be smart enough to learn how to talk." (Somewhere in the city, Kor looked around a bit, as if he had sensed a disturbance.)

Ash slumped over a bit. "So that means that Metal Heads are capable of talking?"

"Yup."

"Crap."

"(Well, what's the one thing that Metal Heads can't do?)" Pikachu inquired, frustrated by their lack of progress.

Everyone put on thoughtful looks. This is starting to become a problem. They learned that most Metal Heads are able to talk, not to mention that they seem to… produce 'babies' since there are a lot of them.

Suddenly Ash was struck with an idea. "Hey, the Metal Heads could only be found on YOUR world, right?"

Jak and Daxter gave him a look, then at each other and back to him. "Yeah…" the former said slowly, "Why did you ask?"

Ash didn't say anything, but he walked by him and towards the door. He cleared his throat. And spoke.

"[Hey Ciel, are you there?]" Behind him, Jak and Daxter blinked. Then glanced at each other, thinking:

'_What the hell did he just say? ?'_

Behind the door, they heard some shuffling before they heard a female voice reply:

"[Ash, is that you? !]"

"[Yeah, Torn told us to come and rescue you and Vin!]" Ash answered, then asked, "[Are you okay in there?]"

"[Actually, the only thing that was damaged was my pride…]"

"[Oh, okay then,]" Ash nodded, "[Do you think you can convince Vin that we're part of the Underground?]"

"[Sure, gimme a second.]"

As soon as they heard some activity, Jak grabbed Ash by the shoulder and turned him around with a shocked look. "What the hell was that? !" He exclaimed.

Ash blinked. "What?"

"That-That-" Daxter stammered a bit, trying to find the words to describe what they witnessed. Then he groaned and exclaimed, "What the **hell** did you spout back there? ! It wasn't in English nor is it in Precursor language!"

The raven haired boy stared at them blankly then blinked. "Oh, right," he said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "that's the language some of the people from my world could speak, much less read."

"Well, what's it called?" Daxter demanded.

"Japanese."

A moment of pause.

"And… you taught Ciel how to speak it?" Jak asked slowly.

"Well, only a little bit of it," the raven haired boy admitted, "But I have to admit, she's kinda a fast learner. When I told her of it, she said, and I quote, 'That could be useful you know. That way, we could confuse the hell out of the KG and everyone else about what we say and say about them. It'll even be better that they won't even know that we're insulting them'."

The Ottsel rubbed his chin, a grin slowly forming. "Huh… That might be useful…" He mumbled to himself. Ash took a quick glance over him uneasily.

At that moment, the door beside them opened slowly. When it opened all the way, the four of them had their eyes wide. Though it wasn't on Ciel…

…it was on a rather short, thin man with white hair (under a brown aviators hat) with goggles that has red tinted lens over his eyes, wearing a white shirt, blue fingerless gloves with yellow cuffs, a pair of suspender-like straps that kept his tan colored pants up and a pair of blue boots; he was hiding behind the female, peeking out at them as the door opened.

The pink/red haired female sighed in relief. "Thank the Precursors that you guys are here," she said, "I'd- hey, what the heck happened to you two?" She added, gesturing towards the spikiness of Jak's hair and Daxter's fur.

"Don't want to talk about it," Daxter said, stiff miffed at the shock.

Meanwhile, the short man looked over the two boys. "Uh…" He let out, getting everyone's attention. "A-Are you sure these guys are your friends Ciel?"

"Of course they are, Vin," the female reaffirmed him, "If they aren't, they would've killed us on the spot."

"G-Good point."

"So… you're Vin?" The raven haired male asked, as they continued to stare at the man.

"Y-Yeah, I am," he confirmed. Then he did a take. "Wait, you guys wouldn't happen to be the reinforcements, aren't you? ! ?"

"Uh…" Both Ash and Jak glanced at each other for a bit then back at Vin. "Yeah, the four of us are the rescue party." Ash replied with a grin.

Vin stared at them for a moment. Then he looked over towards where there were dark purple spots that were on the steel platform. Then he comically slinked to the ground, groaning all the way. _'What did they do to kids these days?' _He asked himself as the others looked over him.

The two males helped the older man to his feet. "Hey, no need to worry, we're bringing you guys back to Haven ASAP," Ash told him.

"You know, it's every time when you said 'not to worry' is where **I** worry the most," Ciel chimed in, her hands on her hips.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask," Daxter piped up, getting the Pokémon's attention (as their partners began leading Vin to the room so that he could charge up the Warp Gate). "Where the heck did the whole, 'not to worry' and worry stuff come from?"

"(Oh,)" the Pokémon rubbed the back of his head, "(a friend of ours kept using that phrase from time to time, and it just sorta… stuck.)"

"Huh."

At that moment, the Warp Gate that was on the platform with them turned on. The three males walked out of the small room and headed towards it. "Okay, we all had to go through this gate then I might be able to turn it off on the other side," Vin announced as he gestured to the said gate.

Ash gulped. He honestly didn't want to go through that thing again. He still couldn't get over what he went through moments ago. He wasn't sure what'll happen this time if they go through it again-

The raven haired boy suddenly noticed Ciel's face looking a bit pale. "What's up?" He asked.

The others looked over at the female, just as she raised a shaky arm to point at something. Behind Ash. "M-M-METAL HEADS! ! !" She shouted her eyes turned swirly. Everyone looked at where she pointed-

Spotting a small horde of Metal Head Grunts (along with Stingers and Diggers) charging at them. "OH (BEEP)! !" Jak shouted at the sight.

"WOMEN AND ME FIRST! !" Daxter screamed as he jumped through the Warp Gate, followed by Pikachu (Pikachu: "(YOU CHEATER! !)").

"OH NO! !" The short man screamed, "IF THEY GET THROUGH WE'LL ALL DIE-!" He suddenly yelped when Jak grabbed him and threw him through the gate (the old dude screaming all the way).

"C'mon!" Jak jumped through.

Ash was about to follow until he saw Ciel digging through one of her pouches. "Hey, what are you-" He cut himself off – and his eyes comically went wide – when he saw the female pull out a _grenade_!

She pulled out the small clip, reared her arm back and chucked it, shouting, "PRESENT FOR YA!" She grabbed Ash and they both went through the gate, just as the grenade (which was caught by a stupid Metal Grunt) exploded behind them.

A moment afterwards, the two of them landed in a heap on the metal ground, and the portal shut off just as they landed. As they groaned on the ground, they heard collective sighs of relief. They looked up from their position in time to see Vin slumping onto the ground.

"That was a close one…" He muttered. "If we acted too late, those Metal Heads would've gotten through there and killed us!"

"Yeah…" Daxter sighed as he slumped onto the ground.

"(As if you're one to talk,)" Pikachu said, looking at the Ottsel boredly, "(You ran away at the first sight of them!)"

"Meh, details, who needs 'em?" The Ottsel waved it off.

As the two of them jabbed at each other, Ash looked over at his female friend and said, "Seriously, was using a _grenade_ a bit too much?"

"Hey, be thankful that the other Metal Heads are stupid enough to catch that thing," Ciel retorted, before she fell back onto the floor with a sigh.

Vin sat up straight and looked at them. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you guys for saving our butts back there."

"And we'd like a little _warning _the next time shit happens," Daxter glared at the Pokéduo at this. They just grinned sheepishly.

The white haired man looked over at the Pokémon. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask," he began as he pushed himself up. He picked up Pikachu and looked over him. "What sort of creature is this? Doesn't look like any animal or Metal Head I've ever seen."

"That's because Pikachu isn't any of them," Ash answered, "Where me and Pikachu come from, he's called 'Pokémon'."

The technician looked at Ash. "'Pokeymon'? What are those?"

The raven haired boy sighed and took out his Pokédex. "This will take a while to explain…"

The group spent the next few minutes explaining to Vin about what Pokémon are, where Ash and Pikachu came from (the trainer even pulled off his helmet to show his ears to Vin as the latter freaked out a little) and all that jazz.

"Whoa…" said Vin after the explanation. "Well that explains the strange language you and Ciel used back there," he mused as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's Japanese," the young teenagers said simply.

"Right… Well, anyways," he turned back to the screen, looking over it intently while pressing a few keys. "It seems that we probably have enough Eco to keep the shield walls up for a time, but please ask the Shadow to hurry up with what he'll do in our current situation."

Before any of them could reply to the request, the screen beeped, getting their attention. "Oh, what now?" Vin pressed a few keys and brought up another screen. Jak and Ciel barely read what was on there (Ash only caught the words 'Drill' and 'eggs'; Daxter and Pikachu wandered off to at the time to look at one of the monitors) before the short man yelped, putting his hands on his head. "Oh great! The Eco levels are dropping at the Drill Platform. Blasted Metal Head eggs…"

The three humans looked disturbed about hearing that Metal Heads could lay eggs. "That's… disturbing…" Ciel said.

Vin turned to the three. "I hate to ask you guys for this, after saving my life, but could you guys head over to the Drill Platform and blast those eggs?" He asked, "If all of them are destroyed, the Eco levels and the shield wall powered by the Eco might return to normal."

The raven haired male placed his palms onto his hips, as he considered the option. "I dunno… we've already done…" he counted off the missions they had done so far, using his fingers to count them off, "four missions so far; and rescuing you and Ciel was our fifth one."

"That's a good point there," Jak said.

Then they went silent.

"Though, I don't think one more mission wouldn't hurt," Ash grinned and rubbed the bottom of his nose.

Jak smirked. "Alright, we'll go out and 'scramble' some eggs!"

The two males turned to the sole female in the room. "What about you Ciel? What're you going to do?" Ash asked.

The pink/red haired female gave them a look. "You REALLY want to know?" When he nodded, she suddenly rounded on him and he could literally see _fire_ in her eyes. "**I'm going with you and its only because I wanted to kick some Metal Head ass after what happened earlier! !**" She bellowed, her voice even managed to make Ash fall to the ground at the power.

"O-Okay," the short eared male nodded from where he was at.

Jak gave her a look. "Okay… remind me to _not_ piss you off next time," he said.

Vin, however, looked like he died, but a person could faintly see a stain right where his crotch is, the man groaning a little from fainting in fear.

Daxter and Pikachu, however, followed the strange light streams on one of the monitors and they eventually got dizzy to the point that they both fell off the dashboard and landed on the ground.

After the trio resuscitate the paranoid old man (and Daxter and Pikachu trying to stay on their feet but fell to the floor multiple times due to the dizziness), he pressed a few keys onto the dashboard in front of him. "Okay, I've re-routed the system so that you'll be at the Drill Platform in no time."

"Thanks Vin," Jak said, while Daxter tried to steady himself on Jak's leg; Pikachu chose to lie over Ash's shoulder, the dizziness slowly fading away.

"We'll be back soon!" Ash exclaimed before the five of them went through the Warp Gate once again.

* * *

><p>"Dammit, can't believe I've fallen for that!" A young man with short black hair and blue eyes (a pair of glasses were in front of them) grumbled to himself as he continued to sweep within his new (forced) boss' shop.<p>

No matter how many times he had went over the encounter in his head, it only made him madder. Though, what else was he supposed to do when he was being harassed by those spirits (and they still do for as long as he could remember)? He wanted to be rid of this curse (he rather call it that than let it be called a gift), so much, that he was willing to give up _anything_ to get rid of it. Working for that suspicious lady and cleaning in her equally suspicious (and rather strange) shop, is NOT what he had in mind.

He paused in his work when he heard something. Like… an instrument being played. It… sounded awfully like a harp or something. Did that strange lady have a harp around here and is someone playing it? Curiosity getting the better of him, he placed the broom against the wall and used his ears to follow the sound.

The black haired youth wondered around the place for a while (how many rooms and hallways does that lady have?) until he suddenly found the source near one of the doors. He pressed his ear against the door, hearing the sound on the other side. Blinking – and against his better judgment – he grabbed the handle and opened the door slightly so that he could peek into the room.

"…!" It was that strange girl from earlier! The one who claimed that weird lady is her master! What was she doing in this room…?

As he looked over the room – from what view he could see with the door like this – he noticed that it… looked like a bedroom of sorts. And on the 'bed'… what the hell is that, a black furred fox? He didn't think he'd see one with red at the tips of its feet and on the small tuft of hair on its forehead and red dots over its eyes. It looked asleep on the bed, yet he could see its ears twitch a bit at a cord she was played.

The harp itself seemed strange as well. It's in the color of silver, parts of it resembling a strange bird of sorts.

"_Den… dashe bu… nobe… shundu… tei… shutu… kewanu… salle…_" She sang. The lyrics themselves sounded strange. Though, the whole place is strange itself-

All of a sudden, she stopped playing. She lowered her playing arm and said, with her voice monotonous, "I'd appreciate it if you could close my door, Watanuki."

He jerked in surprise. How-How'd she know he was here? ? The black foxlike creature on the bed opened one of its eyes, revealing it to be the color of teal and smirked a little with a small snicker. Watanuki glared at the fox then back at her. "How did-?"

"Classified," she simply said.

The black haired boy glared at her, annoyed. "Well, at least tell me what the hell you just sang back there!" I exclaimed.

"No need to shout," she said, very calmly to his irritation, "And if you want to know something, you should at least ask for it politely."

He growled in his throat. "Fine," he huffed out, "Can you _please_ tell me what you've just sang a little while ago?"

She went silent for a moment. Then:

"…It's a song that I've read back then," She explained, "It came from a world during its ancient times, where its legend is created…"

He blinked, stupefied. He… honestly didn't expect a response like that. "Uh… okay then."

The brown haired female turned her head a little towards him. "Should you get back to work?" She asked, with no hint of smugness or… any emotion at all actually.

"Okay fine…" He grumbled, closing the door. As he walked through the halls to get back to work, he asked himself, "What's _with_ her? It was as if she was a robot or something…"

For some reason, he felt that some more strangeness will come at him the longer he spends his time with that Yuko woman and that brown haired girl. He tried to ignore that feeling as him being paranoid.

* * *

><p><strong>Drill Platform; 1515 hours<strong>

If there's one thing that Jak had learned, is that Ciel can be scary – _really_ scary – when she's pissed. But he's fortunate that she's directing her anger at the Metal Heads.

But as he blasted away at the Metal Head eggs (with Ciel and Ash shooting at the other Metal Heads to keep them away), he had to say, the Metal Heads didn't stand a _chance_ with three (or five if you count Daxter and Pikachu) of them.

The last eggs in the Drill Platform were quickly obliterated, along with the Grunt, Spinner, Stinger and Hornet Metal Heads. "Oohhh! OWNED!" Daxter hollered as Jak got out of the turret.

"WOO! I needed that release!" Ciel exclaimed, pumping her fist. Jak's communicator beeped at the moment. The green/blonde pulled out the device and pressed the button to let the call through.

"_WOW!"_ Vin exclaimed on the other end,_ "You guys took out all of those eggs! Thanks you guys, I owe you one!" _

"Hey, no problem Vin!" Ash said, humbled by it.

"_You guys have an exit near you," _Vin told them, _"I'll set it up so that you guys can get back to Haven."_

"Got it," Jak nodded, "We'll see you then." He let go of the button and pocketed it.

"Man, today's been a crazy day so far," Ash said as the three humans made their way to the other Warp Gate.

"You said it," Daxter nodded. "I just hope that the Tattooed Wonder would give us a break after all of our work!"

"(What work?)" Pikachu asked, looking at Daxter boredly, "(I didn't see you do any work as far as I'm concerned.)"

"Oh, oh! You wanna start something?" Daxter exclaimed, giving the Pokémon an accusing look.

"(I don't know, do you?)" Pikachu looked at the Ottsel in suspicion.

"Don't start you guys," Jak said.

"Yeah, I'd rather not go into an argument between you guys," Ciel said, not caring if she isn't able to understand the Pokémon. Then something hit her. "Speaking of which, how are you able to understand him Daxter?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering that as well," Ash admitted, as the three humans looked over at the Ottsel, Pikachu as well.

"Hey, I STILL have no idea how I was able to do that as well!" Daxter exclaimed, "I wasn't always an Ottsel up until two years ago."

"Wait, so you were a human back then?" Ciel asked with her brow raised.

"Yeah, but that was until _this_ guy," Daxter pointed a finger at Jak, who frowned at him again, "pushed me into a pool of Dark Eco!"

The two humans stopped in their tracks, they and Pikachu looking at Daxter with a shocked look (the area around their eyes a dark blue with black lines going down the side of their heads). "Y-You fell into a pool of Dark Eco? ?" Ciel exclaimed, completely shocked by what she heard.

"B-But how did you survive?" Ash held up his shaky finger, his eyes wide.

"Again, I have no idea," Daxter shrugged, "But because of _that_, I'm two feet tall, hairy AND not wearing any pants!" He paused for a moment then his body went lax. "Damn I miss pants."

"Would you get over it already?" Jak asked, "It was an _accident_; we were about to get clobbered by a Lurker, for God's sake."

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other, remembering what Brutter had told them prior to this. They looked back at the other duo. "How exactly did it happen?" Ash asked, "And… I think I'd rather hear the real version of it and not your interpretation Daxter."

"Aw, you don't know what you're missing!" Daxter exclaimed, looking a bit indigent. "My version's a lot cooler!"

"Somehow, I don't think so…" Ciel said.

Daxter pouted. "You guys are no fun."

Ash just shrugged. The three of them walked towards a large cargo where a lot of barrels were stacked on top of each other; there were some barrels that was outside the cargo hold, a lot of them having a symbol representing the four common Eco.

"Well, okay then, it kinda all started-" Jak began as they began to walk by the stack-

A roar made the group turn to the source, yet Ciel, Jak and Pikachu reacted too late when a lone Metal Grunt pounced at Ash; but the boy was able to save himself by pulling out his Morph-Gun to block the potentially lethal attack.

The boy grunted as he strained to push the Metal Head off of him, and to get its snapping jaws away from his face. The others grabbed parts of the Metal Head and tried to pull it off of the boy. Yet not even Jak's strength could move the beast!

With one final grunt, the Pokémon Trainer managed to use what's left of his strength to push the Metal Head a bit far from him-

And kicked the Grunt away from him; just as his friends moved let go and managed to move away to avoid the same fate as the Grunt. The Metal Head stumbled, taking uneasy steps backwards towards the barrels and crashed into them. One of them, with the symbol of Red Eco on it, swayed precariously before it fell over. Ash quickly noticed the barrel and moved back to avoid being hit.

However, little did they know, the lid of the barrel wasn't tightly sealed onto it like the others. Those that should've done it either didn't double check or forgot to. Either way, when the barrel landed on the ground, the lid popped open-

And the others couldn't help but be horrified as the raven haired male screamed as he was dowsed by a dose of Red Eco.

"OH MY GOD!" Ciel screamed hysterically. She was unable to do anything but watch as her friend laid in a pool of raw Red Eco, unconscious yet twitching in ways that unnerved her.

"Oh damn! That was raw Eco wasn't it? ?" Jak exclaimed as he checked on the boy's condition.

"Oh man, this is _bad_!' Daxter shouted, holding his head in panic.

"(Why?)" Pikachu had a feeling he shouldn't have asked but he has to for him to know if his trainer will be okay.

Jak was already gathering Ash and placed him on his back. "We've got to get to a safer spot and quick!"

Ciel nodded. "Right."

"Pikachu, we'll explain later," Daxter said, looking at the Pokémon, "But we'll tell you this: Eco poisoning is NOT a good thing!"

Pikachu gasped in horror, his face aghast in what he just heard.

The four of them quickly ran to the Warp Gate as fast as they could, to leave the place to get their friend to safety.

**Underground HQ; 1425 hours**

The kid hummed a tune to himself as he drew on another piece of paper, this time a picture him holding hands with the two soldiers who protected him from the bad men in red last night. Oshawott watched over him closely, along with the crocadog (who was asleep by his side). He paused in his work and looked around the central room, with a small frown on his face as he saw the room was still empty.

His caretaker's assistant had went off somewhere a while ago, and the said caretaker is also away, making him alone for a while until those other people come back… he hoped it's those two soldiers along with their strange pets and that lady. He especially liked that yellow creature, which made funny faces to make him laugh (what was called? 'Pee-ka-choo'?) For some reason, he felt a lot safer when he's with them. Though, he hoped that whoever it is will come in soon-

The door to the entrance opened, getting the three occupants (the crocadog lifted its head to look at the source groggily) to look up. The kid had a smile on his face when he saw the blonde soldier in blue come in, yet it soon turned to confusion when the soldier (he caught sight of the black haired soldier on his back), the lady and the strange pets hurried into the bedroom. The three of them gave each other a look before he got up from the floor and hurried over to the door, the crocadog and Oshawott not far behind.

"…lucky the others aren't here," he caught the blonde soldier say as he (and Oshawott and – to some extent – the crocadog) peek into the room. The blonde soldier – Jack if he recalled – placed the black haired soldier – Ash right? – onto one of the beds as the lady and the pets took off the helmet, vest and boots; yet the kid took sight of Ash twitching badly.

"Yeah… I'd rather not tell Torn what happened at the Drill Platform," the lady looked over Ash sadly, sitting on the other bed across from him.

"Pee-pee-ka-choo-pee, pee-ka-pee?" Pee-ka-choo chirped at the strange orange rodent.

"Hey, just calm down Pee-ka-choo," the orange rodent said, holding his hands up a bit, "Jack here will have Ashy-boy here fixed up in a bit."

"Pee-ka?" The yellow mouse tilted his head a bit.

"What do you mean?" The lady asked.

Jack sort of bit his lip, averting his gaze a little. Then: "…Well, I have this strange… gift," he said, "I don't know how, but I've been able to do this for as long as I could remember."

"Do what?"

Jack was silent. The kid casted a look to Oshawott and back at the scene before the soldier replied, "…Channel Eco."

"No way!" the lady exclaimed, startling him a bit while she stood up quickly. "You can channel Eco? ?"

"Is that a bad thing?" The orange rodent asked.

"Uh-well, uh- oh never mind!" The lady shook her head, "Can you really help Ash? I mean, what if you can't channel Red Eco, or-?"

"It's alright," Jack said, calm, "I know I can, because… well, I channeled all four of them – Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red."

"Whoa…" The lady marveled. "Wait, what about Light?"

Jack and the rodent stayed silent. Then they said, "Later."

The lady made the same look his caretaker's assistant made whenever something happened. He didn't know what the 'something' is, though. But he focused his attention at Jack as he put his knees onto the ground and placed his hands on Ash's still twitching chest and closed his eyes.

At first nothing happened. That was until Ash suddenly glowed red, and Jack gritted his teeth as he too also glowed red. The lady, the orange rodent and Pee-ka-choo gasped (along with him and Oshawott, though they didn't hear him) as red lightning sparked around the two, as Jack let out strange sounds, as if he was unable to scream. It continued to happen for a few more moments before the lightning recited. The two of them stopped glowing, Jack stopped gritting his teeth, and he let out a sigh before he fell over to his side.

"Holy crap!" The rodent let out, "That didn't happen before!"

The lady quickly turned Jack over and placed her fingers at the bottom of his neck, then did the same to (the now non-twitching) Ash and sighed. "They're still alive." She announced, then looked over the two, "But… what the hell" he covered his mouth when he heard the word, "just happened?"

"I dunno… this is just freaky-links!" The rodent exclaimed.

Pee-ka-choo chirped something to the rodent, in which he responded with, "Yeah, you're right. This didn't happen last night when Jack healed him with Green Eco…" He crossed his arms as he looked over the blue clad and white clad men-

The boy suddenly heard something clunk onto the ground, making him look. Oshawott's shell had fallen off and landed on the ground. "Pee-ka?" He looked back up to see that Pee-ka-choo had turned to them, along with the rodent and the lady, each of them with a shocked look.

The kid suddenly had a feeling that he was in trouble.

"How long have you been here?" The lady asked, walking over to him. "Didn't the Underground assign you a babysit-"

The crocadog suddenly got between her and him and growled menacingly, the back of his fur raising a bit, making the lady yelp in shock as she jumped back.

"Uh… apparently, he had a guard dog. _Literally_!" The rodent said, hiding behind Pee-ka-choo.

The boy quickly went over to his friend's side and scratched his back, trying to soothe him and letting him know that the lady isn't a bad person. The crocadog looked at him for a bit, then slowly calmed down, though, still looks at the lady with mistrust.

The lady lowered her arms a little and took careful steps towards him and went down to his height. "Hey… were you left here alone?" She asked, blinking her green eyes.

The kid frowned sadly and nodded.

"Aww, you poor thing," she said, rubbing his head a little, "If it hadn't been for your crocadog and Oshawott, you would've been pretty lonely, huh?"

The kid nodded again. The lady smiled a little. "Okay, I have a mission for you," she said, "After I placed Jack into the bed, can you guys watch over him and Ash while me, Dax-tur and Pee-ka-choo go out to get some things for them, okay?"

So that's the rodent's name… And a 'mission'…? No one had ever given him one before. For some reason though, he couldn't afford to fail. With a determined look, he nodded.

"Okay then," the lady nodded as well. "We're counting on you guys." She quickly dragged Jack over to the bed (grunting as she does so), took off his boots, straps and armor pieces, along with his gloves, scarf and goggles and placed him on there as Dax-tur and Pee-ka-choo placed the other items near him. Then, with a gesture, both of the rodents hopped onto each shoulder and she quickly took off, leaving the three of them alone with the two soldiers.

The kid looked over at the blonde soldier and hurried over to the bed. He grunted a bit as he tried to climb up there. Once he did, he sat down by his side and looked at his face, breathing in and out slowly, asleep. He looked over to the other soldier (Oshawott decided to do the task of watching him with the crocadog on the floor beside it), in the same state as the one he was sitting next to. He looked back at Jack, feeling worried about him.

Somehow… Somehow he reminded him of his father. His face, partially his eyes and of the way he took on the situation.

His hand strayed over to his amulet, the one his father gave him back before he was taken to this city by that rat faced man, and he clutched it. He wished that he was as brave as the blonde soldier. Brave as the black haired soldier and his yellow pet. And… brave as… as his father…

Mar desperately wanted his father here, protecting him in his arms, from those monsters with the glowing yellow gems on their heads, from those bad men in red, and from any horror he had encountered in this place…

But, for now, these two, and their pets and the lady, and everyone else in this building, will do his father's job.

And he'll try to be brave… for them.

* * *

><p><em>Everything felt… strange around him.<em>

_He can't feel anything. Hear anything. Not even see anything-_

_Oh, wait. His eyes were closed._

_Yet, as he opened them, he let out a startled cry when he found himself in a strange, colorless realm. He couldn't feel the ground under his feet, yet he's standing on… _something_. _

_Ash looked around, completely confused. Where is he? How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was being at the Drill Platform with the others, heading towards the Warp Gate to return to Haven. But then…_

_His head jerked up. That's right! A Metal Head suddenly ambushed them! He tried to defend himself from that monster, and even knocked it off of him. And yet… the rest is… blank. _

_Yet he felt that whatever happened next was important. But try as he might, he just couldn't remember. This frustrated him a little._

_His attention was diverted when something… red glowed behind him. The raven haired youth turned around, seeing a great red, flame-like aura, rippling and glowing brightly, giving this strange realm a sense of color. Somehow… there's something… majestic about that flame. _

_Ash slowly walked forward towards it, as if hypnotized by it. Something told him to go near it. He didn't know why, but he obeyed it._

_When he got near it, however, he stopped in his tracks when his chest… started to feel warm. He looked down, startled, then his eyes widened as a blue circle is seen on his chest. Instinctively, he placed his hands over it, but then he had to move them away a little when that blue circle… turned into a blue _orb_ when it came out of his chest, floating above his hands._

_His eyes couldn't turn away from this strange phenomenon. What in the world is this? It was… unlike anything he has ever seen before. The blue orb suddenly burst, changing into… a strange plant-like thing with small, clear 'fruits' (fifteen in all) hanging a little off of its steams. The plant glowed lightly, and the flame before him sort of… reacted to it._

_Ash looked at the flame then at the plant, back at the flame and back at the plant. For some reason, something told him to offer the strange, floating plant to the flame. Slowly, he did so._

_In an instant, the flame suddenly intensified and shot smaller flames at the plant. The boy let out a wordless (or rather voiceless – he isn't able to speak!) cry of surprise and gritted his teeth – along with shutting his eyes tight – as he tried to stay his ground, holding the plant in front of him as it continued to take in the flames. _

_Soon, he felt that he won't be pushed away anymore. He dared a peek at the result, and did a take when he saw that the flame has disappeared – without a trace, too! Then he looked down at the plant, noticing that the small clear 'fruits'… are now filled with the color of red. All fifteen of them glowed softly, pulsing along with his heartbeat._

_The plant was suddenly covered in a red orb before it shrunk to the size of the previous orb. Then it floated around him once, and went inside him. Immediately, he felt… something as his whole body glowed a soft red. A symbol then appeared on his chest. When he looked down at it, his eyes widened when he recognized it. He had seen it on a few barrels during the mission at the Drill Platform._

_The symbol of Red Eco._

It had taken some time, but his mind registered that he was, indeed, awake. And staring up at a wooden ceiling. He blinked sleepily. How did he get here? He didn't recall a place with a wooden ceiling…

"Osha?" He blankly looked over at the source, seeing Oshawott's face looking at him.

It had taken him a few minutes for his mind to register where he is. He blinked again and slowly pushed himself up, rubbing his eye. "Man… what happened…?" He let out sleepily. He didn't remember falling asleep. This confused him greatly-

Memories of what happened at the Drill Platform hit him like being punched by a Machoke. "Holy crap! Where'd the Metal Head go-?" He started off, looking around frantically to the said monster-

Then stopped. In the other bed across from him, was Jak, out like a light. The kid had also fallen asleep, curled up next to him and holding his arm like it was his personal teddy bear.

He stared at them a little bit until he held his head, feeling a slight headache. _'What the heck just happened…?'_ He asked himself. How did he get to the Underground Base? If Jak was here, then where did Ciel, Pikachu and Daxter go? Did they and Jak bring him here? And what the heck happened to Jak anyway?

"Man… All of this is making my head hurt more…" he moaned a little, rubbing his temples. At that moment, his stomach growled. He chuckled nervously. "Well… thinking on an empty stomach's a bad thing, right?" He moved himself out of the bed. "Maybe I should get something to eat until then."

When he stood up, he took notice of a strange creature, laying on the floor and looking up at him with its black eyes. He slowly maneuvered his way around it and began to tip-toe out of them room. Had he looked back, he would've notice Jak's hand twitch a little before he slowly opened his eyes.

Ash had made his way to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator to find something to eat. He was humming a tune to himself (he didn't know where he heard it from, but it was quite catchy) as he looked through them. "Man, there's gotta be something to eat around here…"

"Ash?" Said male accidentally bonked his head in surprise at the sound of the voice.

He turned to the source, rubbing his head tenderly, seeing Jak (and the kid hiding behind his leg with Oshawott and the crocadog by his sides) looking at him in surprise. "Hey, what's up?" He asked, confused by the look.

"What's up?" He repeated, looking indigent, "You nearly gave us a _heart attack_ when you were dowsed by Red Eco back there!"

"Whoa, really?" Ash exclaimed in surprised. Then paused. "Wait, is that a bad thing?"

"No duh Sherlock!" Jak retorted, crossing his arms, "Eco poisoning of any kind is dangerous. Especially since you came from a world _without_ Eco! You're lucky that we managed to get you here, with no one else from the Underground around, and of my ability!"

Ash wanted to ask what ability Jak has, but… he felt guilty about worrying them. He frowned a little, ashamed. "…Sorry Jak," he said, "I didn't mean to get you guys worried…"

Jak still had an angry look for a little bit, but then sighed a little, his shoulders turning lax. "Well… don't do that again, alright?"

"Alright," Ash nodded. His stomach chose that moment to growl again. Louder this time. "Uh, think we should get something to eat?"

The kid's stomach growled as well. Jak let out a chuckle. "Well, you aren't the only one who's hungry. Hang on," he looked around and spotted a book. He picked it up and flipped through the pages before he nodded a little. "You guys sit around the table; I'll make us something for us to eat."

Ash and the kid blinked a little before they looked at each other.

_A few minutes later…_

"So… what do you think?" Jak asked, looking nervous (which is very unlike him).

Ash put the food in his mouth, via a fork and chewed on it. "Woah! Jak this is incredible!" He exclaimed before he ate some more. The kid and Oshawott also ate a bit of the food, their faces a lit in delight at the taste.

"Really?" The green/blonde blinked in surprise. He sighed in relief. "That's a relief. I thought I've lost my cooking skills after two years in prison."

To know that Jak could cook (and being so incredibly _awesome_!) came as a surprise from the normally irritable male, but, true to what he said, he hadn't lost it after two years. He was like his friend Brock and his mom in a way; turning ordinary food into a fine cuisine!

"Mmm! Man I miss this!" Ash said with his mouth full. "This reminded me so much about Brock's cooking!"

"Brock?" Jak repeated.

"Oh, he's a friend of mine from my world," the raven haired male explained. "He was the gym leader of Pewter City in the Kanto region – that's the place where my hometown, Pallet is at – during my first adventure. He always wanted to become a Pokémon Breeder, so, he went along with me on my journey to fulfill his dream, along with mine."

"Wow. So… what do you mean by gym leader and all of that?" Jak took a bite out of his food.

"Well… okay, I'll explain it to you the best I can," Ash said, scratching the side of his head.

And so, he spent the next few minutes telling Jak (the kid and Oshawott listened as the crocadog was busy eating from his own plate) about the gym leader system back at his world, that you had to collect eight gym badges to prove that you had beaten them so that you could enter a competition called the 'Pokémon League'. Every region in that world has their own number of gyms and Pokémon Leagues. Ash also told them of a few friends of his who are gym leaders (or children of one) themselves, traveling around with him in a couple of regions.

"…And so, Brock changed his dream to become a Pokémon Breeder to become a Pokémon Doctor instead. From there, the three of us split up and we went back to our own homes," Ash had just finished talking about his ventures from the Sinnoh region.

"Man," was all Jak could say as the raven haired youth drank some water to moisten his throat. "Those are some adventures you had there."

"Yeah…" Ash looked down at the table with a sad frown. "I miss them though. Because there's nothing worse than not seeing your friends again…"

Jak made a similar frown. "Sorry…"

"Hey, it's not your fault," the boy said, "Even though I'm probably thousands of miles away from my world, I have a couple of friends here."

"Really?" Jak's voice sounded amused. "Who're they?"

"One of them is sitting in this very room with me," the boy's simple answer made Jak's eyes widen a little.

"… …You, consider me as your friend?" He asked slowly.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I trust you Jak."

"Even when I turn into that… thing?"

Again, he nodded. …This guy is just _filled_ with surprises.

… But… somehow, it brought a small smile to his face. To know that there's someone who accepts him for who he is – and not a freak – is… touching. It was as if he hadn't been tortured in that god-awful place, being experimented on like a guinea pig.

"JAK? ?" All of them turned to the source to see Daxter, looking up at him with his mouth agape and pointing at him.

"Hey, it's not polite to point at people Daxter," Jak teased him.

"And you should close your mouth too dude," Ash added with a grin, "Or else you'll draw flies."

"But- how did-" The Ottsel made a dramatic sigh, slumping over a little. "Don't EVER do that again!" He exclaimed, pointing at Jak (who merely made smirk) again. "You almost gave me a heart attack you two! And where would you guys be after that?"

"In a much quieter room?" Ash joked.

At that moment, Ciel and Pikachu popped in (the former with a bag filled with something in her hand) and they became just as surprised as the Ottsel earlier. "Guys, when did you get back up?" Ciel asked.

Ash scratched his head a little. "To be honest, I dunno…"

Ciel sniffed a bit. "Oh, who cares now? I'm starved!" She took a seat (Daxter and Pikachu took a seat with Oshawott) and they all dug in. "Mm! This is incredible! Who made this?"

"Jak did," Ash answered.

"He did?" Daxter exclaimed, to which the green/blonde nodded. "WOO!" He suddenly whooped. "IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE I HAD JAK'S AWESOME COOKING!" Then he promptly dug in, nearly chocking once or twice doing so.

Everyone in the room had a hearty chuckle, having a peaceful meal for once during their time in Haven City.

* * *

><p>"Vin's alive and well, Shadow," Torn reported as the two of them walked down the stairs into their headquarters. "Ketchum and the new recruit headed over there and saved him, along with the girl that was with him."<p>

The stout man nodded. "Good," he said. As they walked through the door, he continued, "Now that Vin is safe and sound, we best focus on our next course of action: Finding a way to take down both Praxis and the Metal Heads." He suddenly blinked and looked at the door to the sleeping quarters.

Torn, however, didn't notice. "Right," he nodded, leaning over the table to look over a few papers, "Ashelin should report on what the Baron would do in the next few days, so we should…"

He suddenly trailed off when he noticed that the Shadow wasn't by his side. The auburn haired male looked back to see the older man looking behind the door. Torn walked over to the Shadow's side to peek in as well.

"Perhaps…" the Shadow suddenly spoke up, prompting the auburn male to look at him, "We should give the five of them a break." Look up at him, the Shadow smirked a little. "They had a pretty busy day today, didn't they?"

Torn blinked a little and looked back into the room. "Well… alright then."

The two silently left the room, the door slowly closing shut. The seven occupants in the room didn't stir, deep asleep with the five of them worn out from the events of today.

Ciel slept, curled up by Ash's side along with Pikachu.

The kid is also asleep, holding onto Jak's arm like previously with Daxter sleeping by the green/blonde's head, Oshawott sleeping against the kid as the crocadog fell asleep by his feet.

For a moment, their rest is peaceful. Despite what happened that day, sleep is all they needed.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: Torn the food lover<strong>

"Hey, who the hell made this?" Torn looked over some of the food that had been left over on the table in the dining room.

"I'm not sure myself," the Shadow said, though he took a piece and chewed on it. "But whoever did, this is delicious!"

Once the Shadow left, Torn's eyes looked back at the food. He looked around to make sure that no one is looking before he took a piece himself.

He took a small bite of it. And paused.

'_This is tasty…'_ He thought as he put a few more pieces in his mouth.

* * *

><p>…<strong>I was quite busy. And I have to give a lot of people some slack in college.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** After a couple of days after their mission, Torn gave the quartet a mission to help out his friend at the Pumping Station. A woman by the looks of it; and Ash and Pikachu had a feeling it's someone they know. Later, the four of them met up with Ciel to visit a blind soothsayer and a Spanish-accented moncaw about the House of Mar, and to go to the Mountain Temple to bring back three treasures… with someone else tagging along as well. ****How will this go out? Why am I asking you? You'll find out in the next chapter of:** _Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: There are a couple of influences from the new Zelda game: Skyward Sword. See if you can find them. The part where Daxter threw a lot of random stuff at the Metal Heads? I got that from a fanfiction/fanvideo called Super Mario Bros. Z; it's a pretty good fan series. The strange 'shop', Watanuki, and the female and black fox have a role in the story. I won't tell what it is though! X3)**

**Leave a review please!**


	11. Chapter 10

**I've taken an interest in Tales of the Abyss, and playing on it; along with Tales of Vesperia. Though, you probably won't see updates from me about the games.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Pokémon series and the Jak and Daxter series. Not even some of the things that are references from other franchises.**

_(Oh, and I was kinda in a Tales mood, so you'll probably notice some 'skits'.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Ashelin, the soothsayer, and a trip to the Mountain Temple<strong>

"…_By the way, what's your name?"_

"…_I… don't have a name."_

"_You don't?"_

"_No."_

"_Huh… hmm, well, we can give you one!"_

"_What?"_

"_Yes! That sounds splendid!"_

"_Okay… what should we call you…? Ah! How about-"_

Ash blinked his eyes open. Traces of the dream he had have already faded away. He slowly sat up and rubbed sand out of his eyes before he sleepily looked around. Everyone else is still asleep. He blinked, mildly surprised.

'_That's odd…' _He thought, _'I don't usually get up THIS early… Did that dream had something to do with it?'_ He mentally added, making a thoughtful look. He sighed. No point dwelling on it, he thought and lay back onto the bed, to try to resume sleeping.

And yet no matter how long he waited with his eyes closed, he wasn't able to resume sleeping! His open eyes narrowed in annoyance. He pushed himself to sit up and climbed out of bed, silently thankful that Pikachu decided to sleep with Ciel last night.

He made his way to the dining room and sat down at the table, drumming his fingers a bit as he ran through a few things in his head. It's been a couple of days since their multi-mission (with blasting Metal Head eggs as their last one for the day) and of having Red Eco dumped upon him. When they all woke up the next day, they were surprised by Torn telling them that they all deserve a break for a couple of days. "The Shadow recommended it," he added that time, prompting the five of them to give each other surprised looks. And so, the five of them enjoyed their break (although, they sometimes get real bored that they all had to play card games, or even clean up the base sometimes), taking the time to get to know each other.

Jak and Daxter were more open with telling them of where they came from – a small, quiet village called Sandover (though Ciel made a funny look when they mentioned the name), their misadventures before they turned fifteen, their mechanic friend Keira (though Daxter poked fun at Jak, making kissing sounds at the older teen's beat red face) and of the old sage who took care of Jak and taught him: Samos.

They told the trio of their adventure, which started from exploring Misty Island (to telling them of the accident which made Daxter what he is today), heading north to restore him to normal only for them to save the world from the Dark Eco sages, the Acheron siblings Gol and Maia, who wanted to cover the world in Dark Eco.

In turn, Ash told the trio of his own adventures, exploring the Kanto region the first time when he started his adventure with his friends Brock and Misty (Ciel narrowed her eyes when he talked about his female friend), to exploring the Orange Islands with his new friend Tracey, exploring the Johto region with Brock and Misty again, exploring the Hoenn region with his new friends, the children of the Gym Leader Norman May and Max (Ciel made a strange look when he talked about another female friend), exploring the Kanto region again for the Battle Frontier, and finally, his adventures in the Sinnoh region with a new friend, the daughter of a Top Coordinator – and of who he considered as a younger sister he never had, Dawn (Ciel seemed relieved when he said that). He also told them of the many rivals he had made (from his childhood friend – and once arrogant – Gary to the ruthless Paul) and, of course, the whacky Team Rocket that followed them around the whole time (Daxter: "They seem more like stalkers if you ask me.").

During the whole time, the little kid (they still don't know his name for he never said it during the whole time he was with them) seemed to enjoy their company. He had to admit, even _he_ was starting to get attached to the little tyke; but none more so than Jak. Though, he supposes that the green/blonde never had a little brother before; as a matter of fact, neither did he.

Along the way, both ends practiced more on learning the other's language (Japanese for Jak, Daxter and Ciel to more Precursor language for Ash; Jak and Ciel are surprisingly adapt on it).

As soon as he thought of the kid, though, that a felt a pang in his chest, making him frown sadly and put his hand over his chest. During these events, he hadn't thought about his home in a while, ever since he and Pikachu were brought here to this city. He wondered how his friends, his Pokémon and his mom were doing back home. He knew that all of them were worried about him, yet, he has no idea of how to get home – he hadn't started looking for a way back since then.

A horrid thought went through his mind; is he slowly adapting to this cruel world? Oh Arceus, he hoped not; the last thing he needed is to be monster in the eyes of his mother and those he held dear. He had seen enough horrors in this world to last him a life time; horrors that probably might even haunt _Paul_ for a life time. But, honestly, he didn't wish for that kind of fate on his worst enemies…

He placed his arms onto the table and cradled his head onto them. _'Well… no point in dwelling on that now,'_ he thought, _'Maybe Torn will let us have a break today as well, and I could use that time to find clues on how to get home.'_ As he closed his eyes, he hoped that Jak and the others would understand – a lot of them would want to go back to their home as well – and that nothing else would happen that could hinder his search for a way home…

…

"…sh? Hey, wake up," some nudging emitted a small moan from the raven haired youth as he sleepily opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times before he tried to sit up (he grimaced when he felt his spine pop a couple of times) and rub sleep out of his eyes. "You dork, what were you doing sleeping at the table?" Ash sleepily turned his head to see Jak giving him a look, the kid looking over him from his chair along with Oshawott (sitting on the table) with a confused look in their eyes.

The raven haired male blinked a few times before what the older teen said registered in his mind. "I fell asleep?" He asked sleepily.

"Yeah," Jak nodded, "You weren't in your bed when I woke up, and when I came in here, there you are, sound asleep on the table."

"…Oh."

Jak's expression eased a little. "Having a hard time sleeping?" He asked.

"Well… kinda," the short eared human admitted, scratching the back of his head, "I had a weird dream that woke me up earlier. Though… I can't remember what it is." He looked over at the green/blonde. "What about you? How are _you_ doing?"

Jak knew what the trainer was referring about. He sighed before making his way over to the stove, "I still haven't gotten used to sleeping with other people in the room," he answered, "But… the nightmares have become less frequent."

Of course, the nightmares; Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for the older male. A couple of times during the last couple of nights, the others were startled awake by the other male's cries in his sleep. They took some time to comfort the male (even making him a glass of chocolate milk to ease his nerves), listening to some of his hellish nightmares (some of which disturbed even Ciel) before they all went back to bed.

Yet the dream that disturbed Ash the most was when Jak told them of a dream of a monster killing a person before him. A person that he knew, and was very, very close to; to what degree, not even he knew. For some reason, the dream also disturbed Jak; and he didn't know why, either.

Desperate to change the subject, Ash instead asked, "So what do you think Torn will make us do today?"

"I don't know," the green/blonde shrugged, swirling the eggs in the bowl, "Torn was acting pretty funny last night, muttering something about 'her' and 'her patrol'. Things like that."

'Her'? Who could this person Torn was muttering about be? He had a strange feeling that it might be Ashelin.

…Or maybe that strange feeling was his stomach growling. Loudly. He made a nervous chuckle at the looks the kid and Jak were making at him. "Man, I guess I'm pretty hungry this morning."

"Alright, alright," Jak dumped the swirled eggs into the frying pan, letting out a 'Oh crap!' when they started to smoke a bit. "Forgot to put oil in the pan!"

A bit later, the omelet (although a bit burned at some parts) was given to the crocadog, who promptly started to munch on it as the others ate their eggs (Oshawott ate some diced fruit). Jak found that he liked some cheese on his omelet, much like the kid; along with sweat-dropping a bit as he watched the raven haired male scarfing down his breakfast. "You know, one of these days, eating like that would get you killed," the long eared human stated before he took another bite.

Though, it seemed Ash didn't even hear him; instead, the youth said, "When did you start cooking Jak?"

At that, the older male paused before he folded his arms with a thoughtful look. "I… don't know really," he answered, "For some reason, I've been fascinated by cooking ever since I was little. In Sandover, I would find myself reading some cook books before I attempted to make them. Some were successful, others… not so much. Though, on the other hand, Keira and Daxter weren't much cooks themselves. And Samos rarely cooks himself."

"Wow. Well, at least you _know_ how to cook," Ash stated, before rubbing the back of his head, "Me? I can't even make Poffins worth the life of me."

"'Poffin'?" Jak repeated, blinking a bit.

"Oh, they're treats you make for Pokémon," Ash explained, "You cook them with berries found on our world. How you make them depends on the Pokémon's taste."

"Huh," Jak grunted, "I guess even Pokémon has their own specific taste."

"Yeah," Ash nodded, "You learn something new every day, I guess."

"…What's for breakfast?" All heads turned to the source, seeing the others (Daxter, the source of the voice, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes) looking a bit sleepy.

Jak jerked his thumb to the two omelets and sliced apples on separate plates. "…Thanks," Ciel muttered sleepily as she took the plates and sat at the table, the three eating their breakfast in silence.

After they put away the dirty dishes, they all took a quick shower in the washroom (they played another game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who would wash the kid. Ash was the one to do the job) before they all felt that they're ready to take on the day.

"Ketchum. Jak."

Speak of the devil…

Ash had just placed his other white shirt over the kid (since his clothes were currently being washed right now) when the auburn haired man came into the room. All eyes turned to the man, who had his arms crossed with his usual scowl.

From being around the auburn haired man, Ash knew that the look was a sign that something had happened.

"I have a new mission for you two and your pets," he said, his tone short and straight to business. "Report to the central room when you're ready." With that, he turned and left the room.

The four mentioned ones gave each other a look before the two males finished getting dressed into their day clothes, hurrying out as Ash placed his helmet on as Jak does the same with his goggles.

The four of them stood by Torn (with Daxter on top of the table) as he looked over the map. The auburn haired male turned his attention at the two younger males. "One of my old KG comrades was sent to the Pumping Station," he announced.

At the corner of their eyes, Ash and Jak noticed Daxter making silly faces in rhythm with the light swinging over Torn's head and returning to normal when the light wasn't shown on him.

"There's been no word from her patrol," Ash and Pikachu perked up as soon as he said 'her', but no one noticed, and Torn continued, "And after what you guys ran into out there, I'm afraid she may need some help."

At that time, Jak finally noticed the words 'she'. "Wait, did you say 'she'?" He asked, with his tone and face sounding/ looking incredulous.

"Don't even think about it," the auburn man narrowed his eyes at the green/blonde.

"Hey, it's not like that!" Jak insisted, holding his hands up, "I originally thought that the Krimzon Guard are just made of guy troops, is all!"

"Right," Torn didn't look impressed. As Daxter made another silly look, he quickly grabs the lamp and turned his glare towards Daxter, the Ottsel looking nervous now. Apparently, Torn had noticed the goofy looks. "AND KNOCK THAT OFF! THIS IS SERIOUS, YOU DUMBASS! !"

After Torn released the overhead lamp, Daxter made an annoyed look at the auburn male's direction.

Jak flicked the Ottsel's nose a little, making Daxter yelp and hold his nose a little, glaring at his friend. The young man ignored him and asked Torn, "So, what's so special about this 'friend' of yours, Torn?"

"This 'friend', of mine has helped the Underground many times before," he answered, "Now I want you four to go back to the Pumping Station and take a look around."

"Right!" Daxter made a mock salute.

Torn, however, made a bored look at him. "I might have taken you seriously if you hadn't been an annoyance."

"Hey!"

"I want you guys to render assistance if it's necessary," the auburn haired man added, ignoring Daxter. Then the man pointed his finger at the Ottsel. "Now get your squirrelly ass outta here before I rip you a new one!"

As Torn left the room, Daxter blew a raspberry at the former KG member. Jak, a little annoyed at the ridiculousness of this, quickly snatched Daxter and the four of them left the Underground.

* * *

><p>Everything is black – pitch black.<p>

She is unable to see anything. But despite that, she could, in a way, _feel_ everything on the outside.

There are times where she would like to see the outside, but she should only do it through her – the girl she was residing in – eyes. Though, feeling for everything is good enough.

However, right now, she felt… excited. Relieved. She had already felt the presence of one of her fellow channelers two years ago. Her love.

And now…

And now she felt the presence of two more channelers; the two that she had met all of those years ago…

They're awakening…

She smiled a little. It's only a matter of time until she sees them again.

"_(Shiro… Kuro… I can't wait to see you again…)"_ She said, slipping to her native tongue.

And so, feeling the warm emotion surge through her, she slipped back to sleep. She shouldn't waste her energy, even on things like this. She's still weak, after wondering around for ages…

But… she hoped that her unease might go away…

Unease about impending doom…

* * *

><p><strong>Water Slums; 0758 hours<strong>

The drive to the Pumping Station was filled with silence. Though, the silence is for very different reasons concerning them.

Ash and Pikachu's thoughts were on the woman that Torn had mentioned; the woman that helped out the Underground a lot in the past and even today. If it really is who they think it is, then does Ashelin really need help?

Daxter was still unhappy with the way Torn had blown them off back there, as indicated by the scowl he made.

Jak, however, is still in somewhat of a shock. Up until now, he thought that every trooper in the KG is filled with only guys. He never saw a female KG trooper during his time in prison. Yet… to actually _hear_ about a female KG member – and for some reason, he felt that Torn was being honest about it – still came as quite a shock to the male.

_**Skit: Torn's Friend**_

"Hm…" Ash grunted to himself, thinking.

"What's up?" Jak asked.

"…I was thinking about this 'friend' that Torn had mentioned," the raven haired boy answered, still looking thoughtful.

"(Yeah,)" Pikachu nodded, "(We're both getting a feeling that it's someone we know.)"

"Hang on," Daxter let out, looking suspicious. "You two already know a KG member? And a _woman_ even?"

"Kind of," Ash answered, his expression returning to normal, "But we're not for sure yet. And if it _is_ someone we know, I wonder why Torn would want us to help her?" He added, looking thoughtful again, "She seemed able to take care of herself…"

"Who exactly is this 'she'?" Jak asked, looking curious.

"Yeah," Daxter piped in, still suspicious, "She doesn't look hairy or something like that is she?" At that, both Ash and Pikachu looked surprised.

"Well, no," he answered, though he sounded confused, "but what does hair have to do-?"

"Uh-"

"Well, what notable features she has? ?" Daxter demanded, cutting Jak off.

"U-Um…" Ash stuttered.

"…Now I know how Daxter feels…" Jak muttered to himself, with a defeated sigh.

_**End Skit**_

It wasn't long until the quartet reached the large pipe that leads to the Pumping Station. Taking their stuff (for they now realized that Zoomers getting stolen is far too common around here), they stepped onto the wooden walkway and through the security locks. When they touched down on sand, they were surprised by the same type of Metal Head that Sig had gone around and killed a couple of days before.

"Oh great, what next? Spider Metal Heads that could _bark_ like a dog? !" Daxter exclaimed.

"Dax, you've just gone and gave me a weird image," Ash said, sounding bored.

"Not my fault the authoress made me say that," the Ottsel retorted.

"(Authoress?)" Pikachu asked, looking at the Ottsel in confusion.

Said orange rodent just shrugged. "(Figures,)" the Pokémon muttered.

"Alright, let's go and beat the crap out of them," Jak announced, pulling out his Morph-Gun, the setting at the Blaster mod. Ash nodded, pulling out his own, the setting in the Scatter Gun mod.

They spent the next few minutes going around the Pumping Station, searching for Torn's ally and kicking ass – mostly the kicking ass part. They needed the Skull Gems to learn some new stuff. After they unleashed hell on the Metal Heads (for the second time in the week) Ash quickly took out his communicator to indicate where this mystery woman could be. He took notice of the unexplored area on the map and the four made their way over to the new area.

Of course, they got lost a few times (Ash **still** has no sense of direction) so Jak had to lead the group, feeling a bit annoyed yet exasperated at the same time. Because, honestly, how could a guy go through five regions in his world and STILL can find his way (or maybe find his way out of the bag)?

They went to the area that was near the valve that opened the waters back up a few days previous, where Ash and Daxter took notice of the three pistons that was inactive before. Jak quickly jumped on one of them, the metal rising further up to the cliff and climbed up. He turned to the other two, where Ash waved and hollered, "You go on ahead you two, we'll catch up!"

He nodded made his way toward the new path, picking up some ammo along the way. As soon as he climbed up the short cliff, he took notice of two Juice Goons and two Spider Gunners, which he quickly took care of. Once he did, he made his way over to the Hellcat KG Zoomer he had noticed earlier.

As they got near, Daxter jumped off of his shoulder, saying, "Man, what the heck are we doing risking our lives to rescue some old Krimzon Guard hag anyway?"

"I dunno," Jak shrugged, "I'm still surprised that those two knew this person." _If_ they knew her that is, he added as an afterthought.

"Whatever," the Ottsel said, scratching himself like an animal, "She's probably got more facial hair than me."

Jak just rolled his eyes and looked over the large red carrier until his eye caught something next to him. "Huh?" He muttered, moving to look at it closely-

Until he heard something land behind him and grabbed him in a headlock. The feel of something pretty soft smushed at the back of his neck somewhat distracted him despite the situation he was in.

"Who the hell are you two?" A female voice demanded – holy crap, it really _is_ a woman! – much to his surprise.

Jak slowly raised his hands too show her that he's unarmed.

Daxter, however, took notice of the female, and purred a bit. "I _do_ love a woman in uniform!" He smiled wolfishly – the male could've sworn he saw a perverted intent in those eyes. "Would you, like bark some orders at me? Hmm?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Even Jak looked at the Ottsel with an incredulous look. _'Seriously?' _He thought, feeling so incredibly embarrassed by this.

"Miss Hot Lady, I am your soldier in the front lines of love!" The Ottsel saluted, apparently not caring that they were on a mission. "Hey, waiter! I'd like to have a foxhole for two!"

Jak palmed his face. _'Someone who is holy, give me strength,'_ he thought.

Fortunately, the strange situation was spared by the arrival of the Pokéduo. "Hey, sorry we were late," Ash waved, "Did you find-?" Then he and Pikachu paused when they took sight of the woman holding Jak in a headlock. "Ashelin?"

"You two?" The woman – Ashelin if he heard right – let out before she released the green/blonde male (where he comically face-planted into the sand) as she turned to the other duo. "Why are you here? And – pray tell – are these two with you?" She asked, gesturing to them (him and Daxter).

As Jak pushed himself up to look over them – hey the woman looked… kinda hot- He shook his head. What the hell is he thinking about? ? He still had Keira to worry about. (And he felt that the blue/green haired female will castrate him and then kill him afterwards if she ever found out he had an interest in another woman…)

…Yet he couldn't help put blush a little when he looked over at her ample breasts. _'I wonder if Keira's had gotten bigger…?'_ He thought, as the blush on his face intensified as he imagined his head onto Keira's chest. …All nice and soft, like a pillow…

"Hey Jak, were you thinking of anything naughty?" Daxter asked with a sly kind of voice, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Huh?" He looked at his friend.

"Your nose is bleedin'," the Ottsel stage whispered, that smirk still there.

He blinked and wiped under his nose. Sure enough, there really is blood. "Oh _God_!" He exclaimed as he pulled out a water skin to clean his face.

Oblivious to the whole thing, Ash answered Ashelin's questions. "Well, yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Those two are Jak – the guy you just had in a headlock – and the other is Daxter. Torn pretty much had the two of us chaperone them."

Ashelin made a bored grunt. It was as if she knew Torn would do something like that.

"And… to answer your first question," Ash started, still oblivious to Jak's perverted thoughts and his 'Oh _God_!' comment before he quickly cleaned his face, "Torn sent us here. Just in case you needed help," he added with a shrug.

The red haired woman scoffed. "I don't need help," she insisted, about to put away her Eco Pistol-

That was until she noticed something behind the raven haired boy. "But you guys might. We've got company."

"Hm?" Ash let out, confused, before he heard the guttural growls from Metal Heads. He turned to see a horde of Spider Gunner and Juice Goon Metal Heads coming at them from the cliff above them. "Uh oh!"

"What?" Jak popped up-

Ash, Pikachu and Ashelin stared at the tissue paper plugging his nostrils. "…Why do you have tissues up your nose?" Ash asked, blinking a little.

"Nothing!" Jak said a little too fast, Daxter bound and gagged by his feet. "It's nothing. Really."

"Ooookay…"

They decided to ignore it as they pulled out their guns (Pikachu stayed out of the fight to make sure that Daxter doesn't become Metal Head food during the fight), and they all charged at the attacking Metal Heads. Ash blasted those that got too close with the Scatter Gun as Jak shot at those that were far away with the Blaster before he switched to the Scatter Gun to blast those close to him. Ashelin, meanwhile, shot those she could and – like Jak – proved herself to be quite agile, kicking some Metal Heads away when they got too close to her. Pikachu just shocked and Iron Tailed some Metal Heads when they got close to the Mouse Pokémon and Ottsel.

It wasn't long before bodies of dead Metal Head littered the ground, their Skull Gems lying on the ground, stained in dark purple blood. "Well, that's taken care of," Ash stated, as he and Jak put the guns away.

Ashelin nodded. "Nice shooting you two," she complimented them before they walked over to the Hellcat parked next to the stump of sorts.

Daxter, somehow standing up despite being bound, muffled loudly as he hopped over to them with Pikachu following, trying to get Ashelin's attention. But the woman ignored him and got onto the Hellcat cruiser. He muffled loudly some more even as she turned on the engine, blowing the Ottsel away with a muffled scream.

As Pikachu helped the Ottsel get the binds off of him, Ashelin looked down at the duo. "Tell Torn that Baron Praxis is planning something. Something big," she told them, "And I think it has something to do with that symbol," she added as she gestured to the stump.

Both males looked down at it, noticing that there's an orange colored disc with a unique shape. It looked familiar…

"What is it?" Jak asked, raising his voice over the roar.

"It's the Seal of the House of Mar," she explained, "Mar is founder of Haven City. We're being sent out on 'suicide missions' to locate artifacts from the time of his rule."

"Why?" Ash called out.

"We don't know," she answered, getting into the seat "But if curiosity is worth dying for, you can ask the blind old soothsayer in the Bazaar. Her name is Onin, and she might know something about it." She dug into her pocket and tossed something to Jak, "Here." After Jak caught it, she added, "You can use it to go through yellow checkpoints in the city."

After he looked over it, seeing the name – even though he kinda knew it – he waved at her. "Thanks!"

"We're even now," she said, then flies off.

As soon as Daxter pulled off the cloth around his mouth – and pulled out a random sock in his mouth – Daxter saw her departure. "WAIT! HOT BABE! I DIDN'T GET YOUR PHONE NUMBER! !"

But she was already out of listening distance (and the fact that she was in a Zoomer didn't help much). Daxter slumped over, defeated. "Oh man…"

Jak rolled his eyes and looked over at the stump again. Now that he looked at it closely, it… sort of resembled the amulet the kid wore around his neck. "Hm… the House of Mar…" He muttered, crossing his arms. That name… sounded so familiar for some reason…

"Hey Jak?" When the green/blonde turned to look at him, the raven haired boy asked, "Do you mind telling me why your nose was plugged?"

Somewhere, the record scratched. Jak gave him a blank look. "…How old are you?" He asked.

Ash blinked. "16, why?"

Daxter and Pikachu slapped their foreheads. "Are you kidding me? ?" He exclaimed, "You're sixteen and you _still_ don't have an idea about _that_? ? I thought you and Ciel were like, I dunno, maybe an item or something since you seemed to defend her!"

"An 'item'?" Ash repeated, blinking, "What do items have to do with this? And Ciel is my friend, isn't she?"

The three of them gave him bored looks. "(…After six years, he _still_ doesn't have an idea on female psychology…)" Pikachu muttered.

"Yeesh, I feel sorry for any other girl who had to go through this with a guy who doesn't understand that," Daxter said. (Somewhere on the world called Terca Lumireis, four individuals – three girls and one male – sneezed.)

"So! Who's going to be the one to tell him of the birds and the bees?" Daxter asked, garnering a confused look from Ash as Jak and Pikachu face-palmed. Then the three of them looked at each other.

"Let's get Torn to do it," they said (in Pikachu's language), grinning a little.

Ash is still confused.

**Bazaar (East); 0952 hours**

"ACHOO!" Daxter sneezed from the ground, rubbing his nose a bit afterwards. "Damn the place is dusty."

"Yeah, it seemed a bit… run down," was the best Jak could say, looking around the 'Bazaar'. True to what the Ottsel said, the place looked rather dusty. There were some awnings, stalls that somewhat reminded him of the ones back from Rock Village, as well as… what are those lights? They kinda resembled those back in the Industrial District.

Then he thought about what happened that lead up to this point. Since they had enough Skull Gems (on both ends) they decided to visit the Oracle at the Water Slums to learn their new moves. Jak, being the oldest, got his first, and he learned a new move called **Dark Bomb**. It was where he would jump into the air and slam his fist down, making a shockwave of Dark Eco spread out; though it used up all the Dark Eco in his system to do such a move. Daxter thought that the move was badass, while Jak was thinking evil thoughts about using this move on the Baron. Followed by an endless volley of Blaster shots, with a shot from the Peace Maker to finish him off; all while laughing like maniac as he brutally killed the bastard.

Though, when Ash's turn came, the Oracle asked the three of them to leave so that the raven haired boy could be left alone. And it even said that the boy would have 'better concentration when alone'. As they waited for him to finish, he could've sworn he felt something… strange surge through him again. What's strange about it is the fact that it always seemed to happen when the younger male used his Aura ability. He has no idea _why_ that always happens.

As soon as the raven haired boy joined them again (and not even telling them of what he had learned from the statue), they made their way to the Bazaar. However, they soon learned that the Zoomers couldn't go under the raised walkways in the Bazaar, so they had to ditch the Zoomer to a nearby corner so that they could find it on foot.

Though, maybe going on foot would be best after all. They wouldn't draw any more attention if they were to go on like this.

Jak nodded to himself. "Let's try to find Onin's tent," he said, getting some nods from the others. But before they could even take a step-

"Hey guys!"

They turned to the source to see Ciel running up to them, waving. "Oh hey, Ciel!" Ash exclaimed as they turned to the pink/red haired female.

As she got up to them, she asked, "What are you guys doing here in the Bazaar? Did you get another assignment from Torn or something?"

"Well… not really," Jak answered, "We received a tip to visit a soothsayer from Torn's friend."

"About what?"

"Something about the House of Mar or something like that," Ash answered, shrugging a little.

"Huh?" Ciel let out in surprise. "You guys don't know anything about the House of Mar?"

They shook their heads.

Ciel palmed her forehead then sighed. "I understand that you don't know this Ash," she said to the short eared human, "you and Pikachu came from another world and all, but," she turned to Jak and Daxter, "I'm surprised you two don't know anything about the legendary Mar."

"We're not exactly from here ourselves," Jak said in a slightly short tone of voice.

The tanned female gave him a bored look. Then she shook her head a little. "Okay fine, I'll give you guys a little history lesson," she said, "Okay, sometime after the Metal Head war started, a man by the name of Mar came up and united everyone into this city. He came up with the ideas of an Eco powered barrier to protect the city with, and everything it was connected to. Yet what makes him so amazing is the fact that he could channel all of the Eco in existence."

The four looked surprised. "Whoa, really?" Ash let out, amazed.

"Huh, he's kinda like you Jak," Daxter commented, looking at his friend.

"H-Hey, I don't think I'm really related to this Mar guy," Jak shot it down, though he was rubbing the back of his head and blushing a bit.

"Well, if you are related to him, you needed to have a sort of… proof," Ciel said, getting their attention again.

"Really? What's that?" The raven haired boy asked.

"All members of the House of Mar, which was also founded by Mar, each carry an amulet that represents their family lineage," she answered. "All members of the House of Mar, for the past years since the war had started, have all been rulers of what is now called Haven City."

"Is that's true, then how come that Baron-guy is the one ruling?" Daxter asked, his arms crossed and tapping his foot.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too," Jak added in his own bit.

"…Well…" Ciel seemed to hesitate, "there are a lot of rumors that Praxis betrayed the previous king, just as he came to power, and banished him somewhere. No one knows if he's still alive or not."

Ash hummed a little in thought. "If that's what happened, then why is the Baron searching for things from Mar's time?"

"(I'm getting a bad feeling from this…)" Pikachu muttered, shivering a little.

"You ain't the only one," Daxter said, shivering as well.

Ciel blinked a little. "Huh? When did you guys hear about that?"

"A 'friend' of Torn told us of what the Baron is planning," Jak answered her.

"Okay… who's the 'friend'?" Ciel tilted her head, her tone suspicious.

"…A woman named Ashelin."

A record scratched in Ciel's head. "…Eh heh heh…" Ciel laughed. "For a second, I thought you said it was that slut you said who told you of that."

As Ash was wondering what 'slut' is, Jak looked confused. "Yeah. It is Ashelin."

Everything was eerily silent. The wind howled and a random tumbleweed rolled by. "WWHHHHAAAAAAT! ! ! !" Ciel shouted, surprising them and everyone else in the vicinity. "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU GUYS HAD TO GO AND SAVE THAT WHORE? !"

"Whoa whoa!" Jak coaxed, waving his hands to calm her, "Calm down! What's your issue with her?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong! That scandalous woman is the empathy of everything I detest of women who wore very short clothes!"

"… …Uh, hate to burst your bubble, but doesn't that make you a hypocrite?" Daxter asked.

"What do you mean?" Ciel turned her glare to the Ottsel.

"You're clothes are a bit short themselves aren't they?" The Ottsel pointed out, gesturing to her outfit.

Ciel's eye twitched and she suddenly punted him into the air. "DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT BITCH! ! !" She shrieked as Daxter was screaming in the air.

The other three blinked at the suddenly flying Ottsel, watching him fly through the air and landed on the ground next to them. Jak palmed his face a little. "When will you learn?" He muttered, though not really expecting his friend to hear it.

"Uh… what, just happened?" Ash slowly asked, completely confused.

"Life lesson number one Ash: _Never_ comment on what a woman wears," Jak advised him, shuddering afterwards as he recalled a small incident back then. It was so completely innocent, too; like his honest, oblivious comment…

"But, forget that!" Ciel exclaimed, clenching her fist. "I've already done MY mission, so now… I pretty much had nothing else to do."

"Okay, would you like to join us?" Ash asked, grinning a little as the Ottsel pushed himself up.

"Alright," Ciel nodded, "You guys were going to see an old soothsayer, right?"

"Yup. We're really curious about the House of Mar now that you've told us."

"Welp, I've got nothing else to do, so count me in!" Ciel smiled, as if the whole conversation earlier didn't happen.

_**Ciel joined your party!**_

Daxter looked around in confusion. "Did anyone else hear that jingle?"

He was ignored.

_A few minutes later…_

The group of five walked around the Bazaar district, trying to locate the hut that belonged to the famed soothsayer. "Okay… where exactly do we find this 'Onin' person?" Jak asked, crossing his arms in irritation.

"Beats me," Ciel shrugged, "I barely knew this area, even though I hung around here before I met Ash."

"Hm…" Ash let out, tapping his chin in thought.

"_Aura channeler…"_

"Huh?" Ash let out. What the- where did that voice come from?

"_Come, we are waiting for you."_

The raven haired boy blinked. "What _was_ that…?" He asked himself softly. The voice sounded… like a really old lady or something…

"Huh?" Daxter let out, noticing something odd with Ash's pocket. "Hey, your pocket is glowin'!"

"Wha-?" Ash looked down, and sure enough, it is. "Kinda like last time…" He muttered, digging into his pocket.

"Last time?" Jak parroted, though it went unanswered before Ash pulled out his communicator. It was glowing a faint, soft blue color for a few seconds before the glow died down.

Ash blinked then pressed a button. And blinked once again. "Hey, there's a hut icon on the map now," he said, surprise evident in his voice.

Everyone let out surprised grunts before they all looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, there is a small hut icon at the side of the radar. Ash made it go 3D to make it full view. "Hey, it's not far from here, too," Daxter commented.

"We better head over there then," Ciel said.

Ash nodded then they made their way to the hut.

_**Skit: The mysterious Onin**_

"Hm… the soothsayer Onin…" Ash let out with a thoughtful look.

"What is it Ash?" Ciel asked, tilting her head a bit.

"I was kinda wondering on who this person is," Ash answered with a normal expression, "Though, could she really help us?"

"Yeah, I was kinda wondering that too," Daxter jumped in. "I mean, sure I'm somewhat used to all of the magical mumbo jumbo stuff, but," he made a bored look, "I'm still iffy about fortune-telling and stuff."

"That's only because you're scared of superstitions Daxter," Jak piped up, smirking a little with his eyes closed. "Yet even _I_ know that some of the legends back home are farce."

"Hey! You may never know when they'll be true or not!" Daxter shouted, as Ash and Ciel watched in surprise.

"Okay, then name one time when one of the 'legends' came true?" Jak asked narrowing his eyes a little.

"Uh, well," there, Daxter faltered.

"Thought so," Jak said, with a victory smirk.

"(…When did this become a conversation on superstitions?)" Pikachu asked, a little confused.

_**End Skit**_

_**Skit: Jak the perv?**_

"Hmm…" Jak, Daxter and Pikachu grunted, staying away from Ash.

"What? What's going on?" Ash asked, surprised yet confused at the same time.

"Hmm…" The three grunted.

"Uh… what's going on?" Ciel asked, walking to the conversation.

"I don't know," Ash answered, "They were kinda like that after we ran into Ashelin."

"Oh? What else happened?" Ciel asked, her tone slightly short and glaring.

"Well, for some reason, Jak plugged his nose with tissues. I don't know why," he then made a thoughtful look, "but I could've sworn those tissues have blood on them."

"W-WHAT? ?" Ciel exclaimed with a shocked looked. "Jak, you _pervert_!" She ran over to the green/blonde and smacked him, surprising the others.

"Oww! W-What the hell? ?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"You jerk! I can't believe you were a pervert! I'll kill you!" Ciel continued to smack Jak as she shouted.

"Oww! Dammit- Ouch! Ciel stop it-!"

"H-Hey Ciel stop it!" Ash came over to them and pulled Ciel off of him. "Calm down!"

"The hell was that all about! ?" Jak cringed, hurting a little.

"Lemme go! I'm not done with him!" Ciel shouted as she struggled to get out of Ash's grip.

"No! Quit it! Don't try to kill Jak!" Ash grunted, though he cringed a little from the hits he received.

"…What just happened?" Daxter asked in surprise.

"(I have no idea…)" Pikachu muttered.

_**End Skit**_

After a couple of spats, and strange conversations, they reached to the front of the old hut that was pretty much hidden in a corner. They blinked up at it, looked around, and back at it. "Is this the place…?" Jak asked.

Ash pulled out his communicator. "Yup, the map says so."

"Alright, let's go and pay her a visit," Ciel said, her tone short, as she walked over to the flap.

The boys glanced at each other, Ash shrugging (as he still had no idea what Ciel's issue is) before they followed her.

"Woah/Wow…" They all let out once they went inside. There were some ancient relics, a lot of candles were lit everywhere, and they could smell a soft scent of incense (Daxter: "Mm, smells nice!")

"Check this out," Ash let out, looking around. He noticed a much older woman sitting in the middle of the room, her eyes closed and hands at her sides, like she was meditating. She had some sort of disc/vase on her head, some earrings on her drooping long ears, a platted cloth around her head, somewhat like Jak's, a green polka-dotted shirt, some bracelets on her forearms and a pair of shorts.

"I wonder if that's her," Ciel said, looking at the old woman as Daxter and Pikachu noticed something next to their heads.

"Could be," Jak said.

"Hey, I wonder if this thing is dead," Daxter poked at the red, yellow and blue colored bird, yet with a monkey tail and monkey face; that was hanging upside down. All of a sudden it snapped its eyes open and chomped the Ottsel's finger. "OW!"

"Touch the goods again rat boy," It, err, he threatened in a Spanish accent, "or you'll be" he paused a moment to caw like a parrot "counting with your toes!"

The monkey-bird flipped himself right and, doing a loop in the air, landed on top of the woman's disc hat. "I am Pecker!" He introduced himself, smirking as he flashed himself a little.

The four laughed as Ash tilted his head a little. "Uh… what are you?"

"Wha- Uh," Pecker cleared his throat then sighed. "Fine, I'll answer that one. I am a Moncaw, and… yes, I know my name is, erm, funny," he stammered a little, "my mother is… very vindictive. Anyways, I am Onin's interpreter!"

They turned their attention towards the old woman, who opened her eyes – Ash could've sworn she smiled softly at them for a moment – and clapped her hands, a blue energy of sorts forming around them. "Oooh…" The five marveled, watching intently.

The Moncaw rolled his eyes as the old soothsayer waved her hands in sign language. "Onin welcomes you, blah, blah, blah, blah," Pecker translated, though the last part sounded bored, "The usual boring salutations." Pecker looked surprised then looked up at them. "She says it is good to see you again, Ash and Jak."

The five of them blinked. "But we've never met before," Jak said, slightly creeped out.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever met you before either," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Before, after…" Pecker echoed what Onin said, rather cryptically, "It's all the same."

He was about to translate further-

"Oh! Oh!" Until Daxter cut in. "Lemme try!" Pecker made a bored look at the Ottsel. "Aaah… she wants a… She wants a Yakkow bone! A Yakkow bladder!" Jak rolled his eyes a little as the younger members of the group looked at the Ottsel.

"No wait! I got it!" he exclaimed, "For many moons… she has waited for… a juice pop? No wait… a jewel shop?"

"(The hell did you get THAT?)" Pikachu asked the Ottsel, looking up at him in boredom.

"Oh shut up!" Pecker rolled his eyes at the Ottsel and flew next to them. "Oh… oh… I know, she's got a hairball! A hairy lip? Or a hairy chest? It's the hairy chest, right?" He asked as they looked at the Moncaw.

"Close," Pecker nodded, his tone sarcastic, "But _no_! Onin says you seek answers," he cawed like a parrot again as the blue magic around Onin's hand formed a familiar symbol, "about the House of Mar, and the final resting place of Mar himself: Mar's tomb."

"Mar's tomb…" Ash parroted.

"Onin knows you don't have any knowledge of the Tomb of Mar," Pecker answered their silent question; "However, the tomb is connected to," he cawed once more, "what the Baron is planning to do in the future."

The five froze. "…What do you mean…?" Ciel asked.

"If we told you, it would ruin the plot for those who haven't played Jak II." The five gave each other a confused look at Pecker's words. "But it's nothing but mere speculation on our end."

"…Okay… What exactly do we need to know?" Jak asked slowly, raising his eyebrow.

Pecker merely waved them off as he continued to translate for Onin. "She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, stupid 'ooooooo' crap," he said, "Forget all that, I'm going to sum this up quickly, because now you're cutting into my siesta time."

"What's a 'siesta'?" Ash asked. Ciel and Jak shrugged.

"Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple," Pecker told them, ignoring the question, "Not two!" Onin held up two fingers and shook her head, "Not four!" She held up four fingers and shook her head again. "THREE!" The blind old woman held up three and nodded. "Use the Warp Gate at the northwest side of the city, and bring back the three items you find!"

Onin waved her hands some more and Pecker translated, "She also said that Pecker will accompany you and- WHAT!" He shrieked, looking at the old woman in shock. "What- Are you insane? !" He demanded, flying over to the old woman and landed, trying to talk her out of it.

She waved her hands.

"What? What are you saying?" he said, "There's something that those two had to do?"

The five glanced at each other before back at the two as Onin continued to wave her hands.

"Ugh…! FINE!" He stamped his talon on the ground. "But only because," he cawed like a parrot once again, "they'll need my help."

"What help?" Daxter asked suspiciously as Pecker flew back to them.

"I don't like it as much as you do," the Moncaw said, crossing his wings, "And Onin isn't saying anything else about that. So for now, I'll be joining you."

Daxter narrowed his eyes at him. "Why do I have a feeling that I'll hate your guts for a long time?"

"I'm not sure," Pecker also narrowed his eyes at the Ottsel, "because I'm getting the same feeling from you!"

Daxter jumped to Pecker's level and their foreheads touched as they glared at each other, electricity sparking between them as the background changed into a field of fire.

"(Thus, the rivalry is born…)" Pikachu noted, everything normal around them. Yet the four of them stared at the two animals in a staring- _glaring_ contest.

Onin just shook her head sadly.

_A few minutes later…_

The sound of people screaming their lungs out can be heard as a large double-Zoomer _flew_ through the city, exceeding over the limit it was supposed to go. And those people are the unfortunate victims of the female Wastelander's crazed driving. Jak was holding onto the edge of his side until his knuckles turned white as Daxter held onto his shoulder plate for dear life. Ash was holding onto the dashboard as Pikachu was smushed into him by the acceleration. Pecker held onto Ciel's torso with his wings while his talons held onto her arms.

And Ciel? She was enjoying the living hell out of the speed she adjusted to the Zoomer. It seemed she was quite wire happy.

"WOO-HOO! !" She cheered, scaring the crap out of the other drivers and the people below them.

Confused? Here's how it happened: As they were on their way to the Mountain Temple (located somewhere in the northern Garden section of the city), Jak suggested taking a Zoomer, because they'll get there faster. Pecker was against it, but they did a quick vote; Pecker lost. Ciel then went off to find a Zoomer, leaving the boys behind. A few minutes later, she came back with one; yet little did they know, she fiddled with the wires to make the normally slow Zoomer to increase its speed to that of a light single Zoomer.

So, like Jak two days earlier, Ciel is now driving the large Zoomer at near 80 miles per hour. Yes, it is impossible, but you would be surprised by what a little experiment could do.

In short, while it would normally take half an hour to get to the other side of the city, it took a record breaking five minutes to get to their destination. The pink/red haired girl slammed on the brakes, and did a 360 degree turn (the boys screaming in panic) before completely stopping near the large ramp in the northern Garden section. "Here we are," she exclaimed. She then noticed the boys all hanging out on the sides of the Zoomer. Daxter quickly got out, ran over to the bushes, and promptly spewed the contents of his stomach out.

After the boys recovered (and Daxter walking back to them while panting), Pecker shouted to Ciel, "Where did you learn to drive? ! At the" he cawed like a parrot, "school for gifted Lurkers? ! ?"

"Hey, I can drive _just_ fine you rat with wings!" The Wastelander retorted.

Daxter burst out laughing, his sickness forgotten. "Rat with wings! I gotta remember that!" He resumed laughing-

Until he yelped in pain as he was suddenly hit by two foot tall black, star-shaped creature with little black bat wings on its back. The small thing jumped to its, uh, stubby feet, squeaked angrily at Pecker (as he was the one who threw it) before it took off somewhere.

After a moment, Ash turned to the Moncaw. "Where did you-?"

"Don't question the physics of the universe," he simply answered.

"(What physics?)" Pikachu asked.

No one had an answer for that (if they could understand Pikachu that is).

* * *

><p>"Okay… adjust this… place this here…" She muttered to herself, twisting something in the machine. The scent of oil wafted through the room in her workshop, a scent she had grown so used to for most of her life.<p>

Pulling a bit of her blue hair out of her face behind her ear, she wiped the sweat off of her forehead and placed the ratchet down. She pulled away the green curtain and slid it back into place, covering the vehicle from view on the outside. She decided to take a break before she goes back to work on the vehicle…

Though she still has some _other_ jobs to do, being a mechanic and all. She was just lucky to retain her skill in machines – both Precursor and what not – if not her innocence.

Keira sighed. Had it been two years already? The sixteen-year-old had had just about enough with this city. But, she needed to get the machine finished, find the items and locate her friends and father.

She had already spent the first year looking for them, yet there wasn't a sign of them anywhere. She never thought that she would miss Daxter's flirty personality – which was at times annoying – and she misses her father. Mostly, she misses Jak. She was worried about him the most of all; he was her friend after all – albeit a pretty cute one at that-

She blinked. Where did THAT come from? Sure, they nearly kissed at the top of Gol and Maia's citadel – she had a crush on them since she was ten and he was a year older than her, but… Well, she had noticed the looks he was giving her sometime before they came to this place, but she pretended not to notice for his sake.

The blue/green haired female had never imagined that they would get separated when the Rift Rider fell apart in that… tunnel. She was in disbelief when she found out – and was rather repulsed that this place is the future of their village. Though, perhaps a lot of things could change in 300 years, what with Metal Heads out and about. But with the Baron out and about, doing things to people and making them live like this…

She just had to hang in there, hope for the best and pray that everything will turn out okay. For her, and her loved ones.

"If you lose me somewhere," she sang softly to herself as she made herself some lunch, "and your tears are in the air, I will ring a bell until you feel me by your side…"

Yeah… she'll hang in there… for _him._

* * *

><p><strong>Mountain Temple; 1023 hours<strong>

"Woah…" Five of them let out, looking over the large structure before them, Pecker merely looking on. The temple is HUGE! There are natural waterfalls around it, floating platforms, the works. Even DAXTER looked impressed…

…For about five seconds. "Okay I'm bored," he said, making a bored look.

The group palmed their faces, exasperated. "What am I going to do with you Daxter?" Jak muttered.

"I still find it hard to believe that you two are friends," Ciel said, shaking her head.

"I am wondering that too," Pecker piped up.

"Hey!"

Ash ignored the conversation in favor of looking around the area. After they had gone through the city gate and through the warp gate (the raven haired male STILL couldn't get over the strange feeling of going through those), they came upon this place. The raven haired boy pulled out his communicator to see the map of the temple.

And blinked. "Uh oh."

"What?" Jak asked, looking over him.

Ash turned to the others. "There are three pathways here," he answered, putting the map into 3D mode. True to what he said, from the main area in front of them (behind the chasm with two floating platforms are at and the small elevator behind them; which is their current location), there are three pathways which was split up from the main one. At the end of each path are three blinking green dots, indicating the places where the artifacts are.

"Huh, I guess that's why Onin wanted Pecker to come with us," Ciel said, after a moment.

Jak looked over at the said Moncaw. "Okay Pecker, what are the artifacts Onin wanted us to get?"

"Okay, they are pretty simple," he said, "One is a Shard, one is a Gear and the last is a," he paused a moment to caw like a parrot, "Lens."

"Shard, Gear and Lens, huh…" Ash muttered to himself, pocketing the device.

It didn't take a moment until the three humans looked at each other. "Let's split up," they said.

"Me and Pikachu will try to locate the Shard," Ash spoke up.

"Okay," Ciel nodded, "Then I will go with Pecker to find the Gear."

"And I guess the Lens is ours Daxter," Jak spoke up, glancing at his friend.

Ash grinned a little. "Alright, we'll meet back here once we find them!"

With that, the three humans (with the animal partners) split up to find the artifacts.

**Ash and Pikachu**

As soon as they split up from the others, Ash did a quick search with **Aura Sight** to show him the way to the Shard. After a quick confirmation, they headed off to where the Shard is. There were a few traps in the way, and some rather… puzzling puzzles, along with a small horde of Metal Heads (which they quickly took care of). At a certain point, Ash felt the negative waves of Dark Eco, but ignored it to get to their destination. Along the way, they ran into a larger Metal Head that somewhat looked like a rhinoceros with metal plates on it. The duo tag teamed it (using the Blaster mod and Thunderbolt) to take care of the brute.

After a few shots, along with a few attacks, the large Metal Head went down, the Skull Gem coming out of it (which Ash quickly collected). They continued their exploration of their pathway towards the Shard. They soon found themselves inside a shrine of sorts. As they looked around, Ash caught sight of the Precursor writing. From what he could discern, it reads 'Life'.

They looked up at the platform above them, and they could see something glowing… a soft blue. The two of them gave each other a glance before they started to climb up the platform. When they got to the top, they found what seemed to be blue crystals upon a black handle of sorts just floating above the platform. They could see it giving off some visible vibrations as blue light was emanating from it.

The two pulled themselves up and went over to it. They both examined it before Pikachu tapped it a little. After assuming it was safe to grab, Pikachu grabbed it by the shard itself. "(W-W-Whoa!)" He let out as he started to vibrate along with it, the power of it making him bounce a little. "(Th-Th-This thing's got s-s-some vibraaaaattionnn to iiit…)"

Ash slightly panicked and took the crystal from the Pokémon. Though he also held it by the shard as well and his arms quivered. "W-Wow! That's a lot of energy to it!" He exclaimed before he juggled it around for a bit then caught it by the handle. He sighed in relief as the vibrations seized. "One down," he grinned as he placed the crystal into his bag. Then he noticed something at the wall behind them. Strapped to it looked like a broad sword; it looked unoriginal and doesn't seem special, but for some reason, something told Ash to take it. As he takes it off of the rack, he looked over the sword (and for some reason, admiring the stainless steel as he could see his reflection), wondering on how he'll carry it.

"(Hey, look at this,)" Pikachu spoke up, lifting up a sheath of sorts that was made to carry the weapon.

Ash made a bored look. _'Convenient,'_ he thought as he took the sheath to look over it. For some reason, it didn't like the type to be held at the side, or even the back. What sort of sheath is it? "Hmm…" He let out, before he placed the sheath behind his waist, the opening at his right side, and clipped the belt on. For some reason it… felt right. With a nod, he sheathed the blade. "Let's go," he said before the duo left.

…Not even realizing that they were being watched…

**:: Obtained: Broadsword – A simple sword, yet expertly crafted to be wielded in a reverse position. ::  
>:: Skill(s) attached: Back-step and Recover. ::<strong>

**Ciel and Pecker (around the time Ash and Pikachu left for the Shard)**

Ciel had to order Pecker to locate where the Gear is. Once he had located it, the two set off on their own trek towards the temple where the Gear is.

_**Skit: Onin's Motive**_

"Hmm…" Pecker groaned, "I still can't believe that Onin made me come with this rag-tag group for the artifacts."

"Hey, what are you mumbling about?" Ciel asked suspiciously, hearing the Moncaw's mumbling.

"Uh," the Moncaw looked surprise for a little bit then coughs to clear his throat. "Err, nothing! It is nothing!"

"Right," she said with a bored look.

"Though I am wondering why Onin would make me go with you," Pecker said, "Or the things she said about those two. The 'trial' they had to," he cawed like a parrot, "to take on."

"What trial?" Ciel asked with a confused look.

"That… I am not sure," Pecker said, being honest, "Onin wouldn't explain."

"O…kay, why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Ciel let out, a bored look on her face.

"You aren't the only one," Pecker agreed with a thoughtful look. "I am still wondering about Onin's motive myself."

_**End skit**_

Like the others (even though they didn't know it), they had to go through some puzzles themselves, ambushed by a lot of Metal Heads (with the pink/red haired girl taking the Skull Gems), and even fought against one of the Ram Heads. It was difficult with just an Eco Pistol, yet with quick cunning, she managed to trick it into falling off the cliff when it was charging at her – the two of them watching it fall as it screamed. (Ciel: "Metal Heads are stupid…")

It wasn't long until they came upon a rather unusual sight. It was a strange sort of Precursor machine that had strange objects that resembled planets. What makes the machine odd is the fact that parts of it are… levitating. "Whoa… the Precursor Monks back home would _kill_ for something like this," Ciel remarked, awed by the machine.

"Indeed," Pecker nodded, equally impressed.

After they admired the strange machine, Ciel looked over it to see where the Gear is. She then noticed a small gear floating under the contraption, spinning between the legs. "Is that it?" She asked, pointing at it.

Pecker nodded. "Yes, the very one."

Ciel smirked. "Alright. I'll bet they won't even miss that!" She said as she went over to it and grabbed the Gear. Then she took a moment to look around to see if any trap would spring. There isn't. Then she looked back at the Moncaw with confidence. "Heh. Like taking candy from a baby."

Pecker frowned a little at the analogy, but as Ciel moved away from the machine, he heard a creaking noise that seemed to avoid the ears of the pink/red haired girl. The Moncaw then watched as the contraption before him stopped moving and simply fell apart, nothing more than scraps to the average eye now. Pecker's jaw lowered to the ground, his eyes wide as dinner plates, his lower left eyelid twitching a little.

Yet, somehow, Ciel was oblivious to the noise and clutter as she walked by him. "No one will ever know we were here."

Pecker slowly turned his head to the girl, small, inaudible sounds escaping from his throat with his 'finger' raised halfway up. Then he sighed in exasperation and slumped over in defeat. _'What am I going to do with her?'_ He thought as he followed the female back.

**Jak and Daxter (around the time the two duos left for the items)**

With Ash and Pikachu, Ciel and Pecker taking the two paths ahead of them, Jak backtracked to the pathway he had noticed when they first entered the area. Like the other two, they were ambushed by Metal Heads, and had to blast them away with Blaster shots and a dosage from the Scatter Shot. They too also had an encounter with the Ram Head, but Jak wanted to try out Dark Bomb upon it. After Daxter scurried off to safety, Jak unleashed the beast within.

Violet colored lightning covered his body before with a guttural growl, Dark Jak emerged, his black fingernails and horns appearing from the Dark Eco spores as his canine elonged, his muscles bulging, and his skin and hair turning pale. As the Metal Head flinched in shock, the dark half of Jak smirked sadistically before he jumped into the air and slammed his fist onto the ground. He poured the Dark Eco in his system into the attack as it expanded into a large shockwave, affecting the Metal Head greatly for some reason. Jak returned to normal as soon as he used the attack, while Daxter – in a moment of being useful – shot at the weakened Ram Head until it was dead. They soon continued on their journey to the Lens.

_**Skit: Power of Darkness**_

Jak chuckled evilly, eyes closed and with a smirk.

"Man Jak! You freak me out with that chuckle of yours!" Daxter exclaimed, looking weirded out.

Jak chuckled for a few moments before he calmed himself. "Man, I can't _wait_ to try it out on Baron Praxis!" He said, not hearing Daxter (who made a concerned look), "The perfect irony for all of the things he had done to me!"

"Uh, Jak-?"

"Damn, I can't imagine why Samos said that Dark Eco is dangerous!" Jak looked over his hands in awe. "I never knew I would have this much power with it!"

"Jak-!"

"Watch out Praxis!" The green/blonde exclaimed, a feral grin on his face, "I'm coming after you as soon as we get the artifacts-!"

"JAK! !" Daxter screamed, finally getting his friend's attention.

"What? !" He snapped.

"AH!" Daxter yelped, looking completely scared.

Jak, as soon as he realized what he did (and on what he was thinking about), looked shocked. "O-Oh God," he muttered, looking guilty, "I'm _so_ sorry Daxter. I-I guess the power of darkness had gotten to my head…"

"Yeesh! Don't _ever_ do that again!" Daxter demanded before he looked away, adding, "I don't want to lose what's left of my friend…"

"R-Right," Jak said, still looking guilty. _'Maybe this is why he said it's dangerous,'_ he thought, _'It drives anyone mad with power, like it did to Gol and Maia. For his sake, and for the sake of the others,'_ he made a determined look, _'I'll fight against this darkness inside me.'_

_**End Skit**_

They reached a part of the temple without much incident (other than a piece of land collapsing after they crossed it) after trending through the water around it. There was a small shaft of light on a small circular stone disc. As they walked in, they looked up at some sort of contraption that made the light so. "That's some peeper, huh?" Daxter let out, as they got near it.

Jak just nodded. "If the Lens is in that thing," he said, pointing at the contraption, "how are we going to get it down?"

Daxter climbed up onto the disc, followed by Jak, where they both looked up into it, though being careful to not get into the light. The Ottsel shrugged and turned around. "Well, I'm sure we'll figure something out."

It was then that they heard a faint hissing sound. Jak sniffed a little. "Hey Dax, do you smell something?" He asked as he looked down at his friend-

And made a shocked look, which Daxter seemed oblivious to as he sniffed a little himself. "Hm, yeah," he nodded, "Whatever it is, it smells kinda good."

"Uh… Daxter?"

The Ottsel still remained oblivious as he waves his hands towards his face to get a better sense of the smell. "Mm. I wonder what's cooking."

Jak made a bored look. "You are, stupid."

"Huh…" Daxter said absently…

…Until he suddenly heard a flame ignite and a burning sensation on his tail. "HUH? ?" He let out as he looked down at his tail-

Which is, literally, on fire; starting at the tip. Apparently, the Ottsel forgot about his tail, which he left in the intense beam of light shining down. The Ottsel screamed and ran off the platform (a random fire truck siren and horn going off somewhere). When he did that, the disc Jak was on started to rotate. He looked up and the contraption opened its hatches as a rather large concave lens gently floated down to him. As the lens hovered to him, Daxter is still running around like a maniac, trying to put his tail out; running around in circles, on the walls, the ceiling… even in midair, defying the laws of gravity! Daxter then jumped into the pool of water surrounding the temple, just as Jak held the Lens in his hands.

The green/blonde looked over the glass, then tapped it a little with his knuckles. He was surprised by the durability of the glass as they gave out a satisfying _clink_ sounds. "Huh." He let out, impressed.

Daxter, his fur dripping wet, staggered over to Jak and fell onto the ground, panting (getting the long eared human's attention). "All of these Precursor junk are out to get me… I know it!" The Ottsel breathed out.

Jak chuckled nervously for a little bit. "Well, we've got the Lens," he said, oblivious to the crashing sounds near them (that was the contraption Ciel had broken), "We should get back to the others." He stepped off of the disc-

And his foot sank onto a switch cleverly concealed onto the floor. "Huh?" He let out, looking down in shock, before they heard a faint rumble. The two turned to the source to see a wall being pushed outwards towards them before they opened up like the automatic doors. Behind the walls was a pedestal, upon which a spear rested. The Trouble Twins gave each other a look before they cautiously approached the pedestal, in case it was a trap. When nothing happened as they were near them (which unnerved them), they looked over the spear. It didn't look amazing; in fact, it looked like an ordinary spear. A sharp, pointy metal strapped to a long stick, meant to stab things with. Even though with the technology in Haven City, it was kinda… strange to see a spear in this place. But, for some reason, something told Jak to take it with him.

So he handed the Lens to Daxter (with the Ottsel nearly losing his balance with the added weight) and grabbed the spear with both hands. It felt light in his hands, and the pole felt… surprisingly smooth. He did a couple of moves with it, twirling it around for a bit, stabbing with it before ending it by somewhat slamming the point onto the ground, where it made a _CLINK!_ against the rock. The green/blonde returned to his normal position to look over the spear once more, a small smirk on his face. It was strange, he thought, it felt… natural for him.

He looked over it again and noticed something. There are two small 'dots on the sides of the spear, made as if…

Jak decided to experiment and twisted the spear, then pushing the two parts towards the center-

Where it immediately became… smaller; more compact, really. Like it would fit discreetly in his pouch; or hang it on his belt if he wanted to. "Cool," he let out before he put it away.

Daxter, already bored, yawned. "Can we go now?" He asked impatiently. He would've leaned against the Lens, but he didn't want to risk breaking it on accident.

After the green/blonde took the Lens from the Ottsel, the two started their way back to the others…

…Though Daxter looked back in the room. "Huh…?" He let out, his ears lowering in concern. The Ottsel tried to shake it off and went back to follow his friend.

He could've sworn he felt something… odd, watching them…

**:: Obtained: Spear – A simple spear, yet made to be compatible for the user. ::  
>:: Skill(s) attached: Back-step and Strength. ::<strong>

_Sometime later…_

Ciel was leaning against the wall, her legs crossed with the Gear sitting on her lap. Pecker looked pretty displeased, what, with what happened when they were getting the Gear. His wings are crossed, and he tapped his 'foot' with impatience.

It wasn't long until they heard footsteps. They turned to the source to see Ash walking up to them, Pikachu on his shoulder…

…Along with a sword strapped to his waist. The pink/red haired girl blinked at it. "Hey, where'd you get the sword?" She asked.

The raven haired boy blinked, looked at the sword, and back at her. "I found it at the temple where the Shard is," he answered, though it seemed that he was confused about… something. "Though… I'm not even sure why it was there…" He added, scratching the back of his head once he removed his helmet.

Pecker tilted his head in wonder, looking at the youth's surprisingly short ears. "Hm… Onin isn't kidding about the strangeness of you young man," he said, getting the said boy's attention. "Your energy, of how you got here, and," he cawed like a parrot, "and of how the Precursors took an interest in you."

Ash and Pikachu blinked their eyes, surprised. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"She wouldn't say," he simply said, looking frustrated.

"The hell does THAT mean?" Ciel asked, "Aren't you Onin's interpreter or something?"

"Just because I am doesn't mean that I know what she's thinking half the time!" Pecker defended himself. "Some of the things she said, even her cryptic talk of meeting you and Jak, eludes me still!"

"…Huh," Ash said after a moment of silence. "I guess there's more to some things than meets the eye."

"What makes you say that?"

The raven haired male was about to answer the pink/red head's question-

A chill suddenly went up his spine and he felt himself freeze in place. At the same time, everything outside of the temple had gone eerily silent…

"Uh… am I the only one weirded out by this…?" Ciel asked out loud, feeling unnerved by the sudden silence.

She isn't the only one.

Pikachu was frozen where he is, every part of his fur standing on end. Pecker's feathers fluffed out, and he twitched badly at such a presence. Like Ash, they're unable to use their voices, their breath hitched in their throats.

Finally, Ash regained some form of mobility to slightly move. And said:

"Something's wrong."

A scream from Daxter broke the spell that was over them before crashing sound was heard, shaking the very ground itself. Ciel quickly got up to her feet, a death grip on the Gear. "What the (beep) is that? !" She exclaimed.

At that moment, Jak and Daxter came running into the temple, the two of them looking as if they've just saw a demon from Hell or something. "We've gotta get the hell out of here!" Jak exclaimed, the Lens under his arm.

"What? Why-?" The temple shook again, cutting the raven haired male off.

"What the hell is attacking the temple? ?" Ciel screeched, in near hysteria.

Another earth rending shake nearly sent everyone toppling to the ground. An unearthly roar sounded out, making the group cover their ears. As their hearing recovers and they cracked open their eyes…

…They caught sight of something beyond the openings of the temple. "Wh-What is that? !" Ash exclaimed, his eyes wide.

It was… repulsive. It was quadrupedal, very large, and with black, ribbon-like extensions around it. And that was only from what they could see from where they are as it continued to break its way in. Yet they could see some sort of… ripple around the air, and electricity crackling.

It then let out another unearthly roar in anger, shaking the group to their very core.

* * *

><p>All around Haven City, those that are sensitive could feel the dark presence.<p>

For some, fear gripped their hearts. Yet for unknown reasons for a couple of them.

Others felt apprehension.

But there are those that knew what it is.

And what it means.

"_Their first trial begins…"_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><strong>Hidden Scene: Ciel's Outfit<strong>

"Hey Ciel?" Ash spoke up as they went up the ramp.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you... Why do you wear short clothes?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering that too," Daxter piped up, "since you just freaked out over the hot woman's 'scandalous' outfit ya hypocrite."

The pink/red haired girl glared at the Ottsel. "Okay fine," she said as they waited for the first door to open, "Where I come from, we're pretty much in a desert. Now, everyone thinks that the Wasteland is just an island, but, in reality, its just a part of the continent where Haven City is at."

"Really?" Jak let out as they walked into the room to wait for the second door to open.

"Yup," she put her hands behind her head as she added, "Most people get there by Air Train, since its faster. But if you try driving here from the Wasteland from the Desert Runners, it'll take a few hours at _most_ to get here. Depending on how fast you drive that is."

"Okay, but what do vehicles have to do with your outfit?" Ash asked, still a bit confused.

"In the desert, you dehydrate faster depending on what you wear," she answered, "If your clothes are tight, you'll just end up cutting off circulation for the blood stream, making your body unable to get air. Also, dark colored clothes absorb light."

"So... wearing loose clothes and bright colors cool you down?" Jak summarized what the girl had told them.

"That, and smaller clothes are a LOT easier to move around in."

As soon as the door opened, Ciel walked out with Pecker following. The quartet gave each other a look before Ash shrugged before he followed.

Daxter made a bored look. "Still makes her a hypocrite, though."

Jak sighed.

But Pikachu couldn't help but thought, confused, _'But why didn't she say anything about Tess' outfit?'_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm done for the semester. But that doesn't mean that there will be quick updates.<strong>

**Next Chapter:**** Facing with a strange creature threatening them, Ash, Jak, Pikachu and (reluctantly) Daxter stayed behind to face it as Pecker and Ciel fled back to the city with the artifacts. As they did, they found themselves with strange, new powers; powers that could strangely affect this creature. Will the quartet survive this encounter? And what is the 'trial' Pecker and Onin spoke of? ****Find out in the next chapter of:** _Aura Renegade!_

**(Trivia: Parts of the chapter is largely influenced by the Tales of series. And some parts of the chapter – the beginning and of where the group is going to the Pumping Station – are important to the series. I won't reveal what it is though! And… the part where Ash STILL has no idea about female psychology is also a reference to a Tales game; try to guess which one it is. And the people who were hoping for the JakxAshelin pairing… yeah, sorry, but I'm leaning more towards the JakxKeira pairing.)**

**Please review all of you wonderful people! X3**


	12. NOT an update

Sorry folks, but I've lost my drive for this story. I had a great plan for this but…I got too many ideas for it and none of them looked remotely right. That'll just complicate things too much.

Also, I don't like how I'm making this thing go. So…I'm going to revise it one day and make it a LOT better than it originally was. This time, with a plan that I had going for it – no major crossovers of any kind, just…a two-way crossover (of Pokémon and Jak and Daxter) this time. HOWEVER:

I won't make a second sequel of it based on Jak X: Racer (or whatever the hell it's called) nor Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (I honestly don't like how that game is going) so…I'm going to try to make the last of the trilogy original. How I'm going to do that, I have no idea yet.

This has been fun guys. I'm still debating of leaving this story up, but for now, it'll stay here.


End file.
